cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Virtual Colorimetric Sensor Array: Single Ionic Liquid for Solvent Discrimination

There is a continuing need to develop high-performance sensors for monitoring organic solvents, primarily due to the environmental impact of such compounds. In this regard, colorimetric sensors have been a subject of intense research for such applications. Herein, we report a unique virtual colorimetric sensor array based on a single ionic liquid (IL) for accurate detection and identification of similar organic solvents and mixtures of such solvents. In this study, we employ eight alcohols and seven binary mixtures of ethanol and methanol as analytes to provide a stringent test for assessing the capabilities of this array. The UV–visible spectra of alcoholic solutions of the IL used in this study show two absorption bands. Interestingly, the ratio of absorbance for these two bands is found to be extremely sensitive to alcohol polarity. A virtual sensor array is created by using four different concentrations of IL sensor, which allowed identification of these analytes with 96.4–100% accuracy. Overall, this...
Collagen-fibril matrix properties modulate the kinetics of silica polycondensation to template and direct biomineralization

Fibrillar collagen networks template and direct biocompatible silica mineralization to produce hybrid materials for biomedical applications. Silica mineralization kinetics is critical for precision-tuning material properties, including mechanical strength, microstructure, and interface thickness. We investigated the effect of varying collagen template fibril volume fraction (0.2–0.8) and elasticity (G′ 200–1500 Pa) on silica mineralization rates. Measurement of the depletion of mono- and disilicic acids by silicomolybdic acid titration showed that silica condensation on collagen fibrils follows third-order kinetics. Resulting third-order rate constants increased linearly with storage modulus and quadratically with fibril volume fraction. A unique rheological approach used to probe the collagen template surface elasticity in real-time during silicification suggested a two-phase mechanism with high levels of surface-localized gelation in Phase 1 and high levels of bulk solution-localized gelation in Phase 2. These results provide a tool for controlling hybrid collagen-silica material properties by controlling local silica condensation rates.
Effectivity and safety evaluation of flurbiprofen used for postoperation anagesia on patients undergoing gynaecological laparoscope

Objective To evaluate the effectivity and safety of flurbiprofen used for postoperation anagesia on patients undergoing gynaecological laparoscope.Method Total 150 cases undergoing gynaecological laparoscope were divided into flurbiprofen group,tramadol group and the control group,50 cases in each group.Flurbiprofen 50mg and tramadol 50mg were injected via vein before operation in flurbiprofen group and tramadol group,respectively,and 0.9% sodium chloride 5ml in the control group.VAS at 2h,4h,8h and 24h after operation and frequency of anagesia drugs during 24h after operation were recorded,and adverse reaction such as respiratory depression,nausea and vomitting,dizzy were observed.Blood platelets count and blood clotting index before and 24h after operation were detected.Results VAS and frequency of anagesia drugs at different time after operation in flurbiprofen group and tramadol group were lower than that in the control group significantly(P0.05).Adverse reaction such as dizzy,nausea and vomitting in flurbiprofen group were lower than that in tramadol group(P0.05).PLT after operation in flurbiprofen group was lower than that before operation,but PT and APTT after operation prolonged,there was a significant difference(P0.05).But PLT,PT and APTT were in normal range,and no one case had abnormal hemorrhagic tendency.Conclusion Flurbiprofen 50mg injected via vein before operation can relieve pain of patients receiving gynaecological laparoscope,and no significant adverse effect is found.
Titanium(III) tetrahydroborates. Preparation and crystal structure of Ti(BH4)3(PMe3)2 containing an unusual Ti.cntdot..cntdot..cntdot.H.cntdot..cntdot..cntdot.B agostic interaction

Cristallisation dans Pnma avec affinement jusqu'a 0,048. Geometrie bipyramidale trigonale, les phosphines occupant les positions axiales. Un des BH 4 − equatoriaux est bidente
Follicular stimulation for in vitro fertilization using pituitary suppression and human menopausal gonadotropins.

Multiple follicular stimulation is a prerequisite to the efficient use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT). For some individuals, however, this stimulation may be difficult using standard superovulation protocols because of dominant follicle formation, suboptimal estradiol response, or premature luteinizing hormone surge. A group of such individuals with several previous failed attempts at superovulation were studied. Follicular stimulation was accomplished using a long-acting agonist of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) for pituitary suppression followed by human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) for follicular stimulation. Fourteen cycles (12 IVF, 2 GIFT) were completed in 12 individuals. There were no cycle cancellations. Mean number of prior cycle cancellations per patient was 3.1±0.4. Mean number of mature oocytes recovered was 3.9±0.5. Two pregnancies resulted. Pituitary suppression with a long-acting agonist of GnRH followed by hMG appears to be an effective adjunct to current superovulation regimens.
Analysis of variance on thickness and electrical conductivity measurements of carbon nanotube thin films

One of the major challenges towards controlling the transfer of electrical and mechanical properties of nanotubes into nanocomposites is the lack of adequate measurement systems to quantify the variations in bulk properties while the nanotubes were used as the reinforcement material. In this study, we conducted one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) on thickness and conductivity measurements. By analyzing the data collected from both experienced and inexperienced operators, we found some operation details users might overlook that resulted in variations, since conductivity measurements of CNT thin films are very sensitive to thickness measurements. In addition, we demonstrated how issues in measurements damaged samples and limited the number of replications resulting in large variations in the electrical conductivity measurement results. Based on this study, we proposed a faster, more reliable approach to measure the thickness of CNT thin films that operators can follow to make these measurement processes less dependent on operator skills.
Culture and Therapy with Special Subgroups

This chapter focuses on subgroups of the population served in psychiatric practice by age, that is, children, adolescents, or aged people—as opposed to ordinary adults; by gender, that is, women—as opposed to men); as well as the social units of a couple or family—as opposed to an individual. All of the subgroups are discussed from the standpoint of the cultural aspects of common psychological issues, related psychiatric disorders, and clinical suggestions for care. Thus the chapter addresses the cultural aspects of child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, women's psychiatry, and marital and family therapy. In the treatment of an individual, it is necessary to define what is considered a healthy or functional persona as a standard to guide the course of therapy. Analogously, in family therapy, it is necessary to visualize a well-functioning, normal family as the final goal toward which treatment is directed. The concept of a functional or healthy family needs to be defined carefully and elaborated further in therapy for families of different cultural groups so that it is consistent with the relevant cultural background. The chapter concludes that the purpose of family therapy can be described from a cultural perspective as working on the cultural system of the family in various ways, with the aim of promoting the function of the family.
Clinical and imaging considerations in primary immunodeficiency disorders: an update

Primary immunodeficiencies are a group of genetically determined disorders with diverse presentations. The purpose of this review is to provide a practical and brief description of a select number of these diseases and to discuss the important role the radiologist can have in making an early diagnosis and in detecting and following disease complications. The role of diagnostic imaging and informed performance and interpretation are vital in the diagnosis, surveillance and management of all primary immunodeficiency disorders.
Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance after Three Years

As part of Mathematicaâ€™s seven-year evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) program, this is the first report to describe the effects of performance-based bonuses within the TIF program. Researchers found that TIF schoolsâ€™ student achievement on standardized tests in reading was higher by 1 percentile pointâ€”the equivalent of about three weeks of additional learningâ€”for schools that offered pay-for-performance bonuses, compared with ones that did not. The study also showed similarly positive, but not statistically significant, improvements in math.
Delivery mode and breastfeeding outcomes among new mothers in Nicaragua

Breastfeeding has been shown to benefit infants and mothers. Women who have caesarean deliveries (C-sections) are expected to be less likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding than those who have vaginal deliveries. Given the high rate of C-sections in Nicaragua, the importance of breastfeeding, and the centrality of culture in choices about breastfeeding, this study sought to examine if mode of delivery relates with breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity in Nicaragua. Two hundred fifty mothers were surveyed about birth experiences and breastfeeding behaviour in 3 public clinics in Leon, Nicaragua, between June and August 2015. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association of mode of delivery with initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hr of birth (early initiation) and exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months post-partum. The rate of early initiation was 68.8% and that of exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months was 12.7%. Mode of delivery was not significantly associated with early initiation (p = .383) or exclusive breastfeeding (p = .518). Early initiation was negatively associated with prelacteal feeding, AOR = 0.30, 95% CI [0.16, 0.58]; p = .001. Mothers who had perceived their infants as large at birth were significantly less likely to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, AOR (95%CI) = 0.25 (0.06-0.97); p = 0.046. Mode of delivery was not significantly associated with optimal breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity among mothers in Nicaragua. The 2 risk factors identified for delayed initiation of breastfeeding and lack of exclusive breastfeeding were prelacteal feeding and maternal perception of a large infant at birth, respectively.
Learning From The Canadian Experience

Sometime during the next decade the United States will probably embark on major reform of our pluralistic system of health care finance. The growth of the uninsured and the failure of the so-called competition revolution of the 1980s to stem the rise in health care spending are just two of the factors pushing the nation toward more radical change. In seeking to develop new approaches, health policy experts inevitably will attempt to draw on the experiences of other countries, especially those such as Canada that have managed to implement universal coverage while simultaneously containing costs well below U.S. levels. In doing so, it would be wise to resist simplistic notions about the easy transfer of health care systems across national boundaries. “The organization of medicine,” law professor Walton H. Hamilton wrote in 1930, “is not a thing apart which can be subjected to study in isolation. It is an aspect of culture, whose arrangements are inseparable from the general organization of society.” But even if it is impossible to reproduce another country’s experience, it should be possible to learn from it. The potential for learning is particularly great in a comparison of Canada and the United States because of both the differences and the similarities between the two countries. In 1986, Canadians spent approximately 8.5 percent of their gross national product (GNP) on health care, while Americans spent approximately 10.9 percent. If U.S. spending had been held to the Canadian ratio, the savings would have amounted to about $100 billion. This large difference between Canada and the United States has emerged only since the 1970s. Before then, the percentages of GNP spent for health care were similar in the two countries. This was not surprising because the United States and Canada are similar in many respects, including training of physicians and other health professionals, political and economic
The touchy business of gastrointestinal (GI) mechanosensitivity.

Abstract The gastrointestinal (GI) tract's normal function depends on its ability to propel, mix, and store contents in a highly coordinated fashion. An ability to sense mechanical forces is therefore fundamental to normal GI tract operation. There are several mechanosensory circuits distributed throughout the GI tract. These circuits rely on a range of proposed specialized and non-specialized mechanosensory cells that include epithelial enterochromaffin (EC) cells, both intrinsic and extrinsic sensory neurons, glia, interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), and smooth muscle cells. While the anatomy of these circuits is established, the molecular mechanisms and functions are still poorly understood. In this review, we focus on the neuro-epithelial mechanosensory circuit in the gut, composed of epithelial EC cells and sensory neurons, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Intriguingly, this circuit closely resembles the light touch circuit in the skin that is composed of an epithelial Merkel cell and an afferent sensory neuron, suggesting that the basic building blocks may be retained in diverse mechanosensory systems. We compare the gross and molecular anatomy and physiology of these circuits and dissect the roles of GI neuro-epithelial mechanosensory, or “GI touch”, circuitry in GI health and disease.
Concreteness and Judgment: The Dialectical Nature of Galileo’s Methodology

The first thing to note about the methodological content of Galileo’s Dialogue is that it is more or less evenly spread throughout the book. As Table I (below) indicates, the First Day contains on the average a distinct methodological discussion about every 10 pages,1 the Second Day about every 7¼ pages, the Third Day every 9 pages, and the Fourth every 8 pages. In other words, the methodological intensity of the book does not vary much from beginning to end.
Language Skill Mediates the Relationship Between Language Load and Articulatory Variability in Children With Language and Speech Sound Disorders

Purpose The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between language load and articulatory variability in children with language and speech sound disorders, including childhood apraxia...
A Retrospective Analysis of a Cross‐Year Peer Tutoring Program for Oral Health Students

Health professions education is extremely challenging for students, requiring high performance in fast-paced learning environments. In addition, the challenge of instructing students at many performance levels and the lack of teaching assistants can create a knowledge gap between educators and students. Using cross-year peer tutors is one potential method to close this gap and improve student performance. The aims of this study were to retrospectively evaluate the impact of a cross-year peer tutoring program on successful course completion of oral health students and to assess student and tutor perceptions of the experience. First- and second-year dental and dental therapy students were assigned to cross-year tutors as a result of progression committee recommendations and self-identification. Potential tutors were vetted by the course directors. The collected data included number of courses in which students were assigned a tutor, the type of course (lecture vs. lab), and students' success in the courses. These data were collected for a four-year period (2013-14 to 2016-17), and student and tutor perceptions were assessed in one year. The results showed that 94% of the students who received tutoring passed their courses. Students who had been tutored had a significantly lower failure rate than those who were not tutored (20% vs. 80%, respectively). These results suggest that the cross-year peer tutoring program was useful in closing the learning gap between instructors' expert level and novice learners. Participating students and tutors also perceived the program as a positive and beneficial experience.
An Associative Processor Design

The previous chapters of this book have presented an abstract associative computer model, a programming language based on that model which executes on massively parallel SIMD computers, and several examples of programs and algorithms using associative concepts. This chapter presents a computer design based on the experiences gained from implementing the associative language and developing the associative algorithms and programs.
Exclusivity and Compensation in NFκB Dimer Distributions and IκB Inhibition

The NFκB transcription factor family members RelA, p50, and cRel form homo- and heterodimers that are inhibited by IκBα, IκBβ, and IκBe. These NFκB family members have diverse biological functions, and their expression profiles differ, leading to different concentrations in different tissue types. Here we present definitive biophysical measurements of the NFκB dimer affinities and inhibitor affinities to better understand dimer exchange and how the presence of inhibitors may alter the equilibrium concentrations of NFκB dimers in the cellular context. Fluorescence anisotropy binding experiments were performed at low concentrations to mimic intracellular concentrations. We report binding affinities much stronger than those that had been previously reported by non-equilibrium gel shift and analytical ultracentrifugation assays. The results reveal a wide range of NFκB dimer affinities and a strong preference of each IκB for a small subset of NFκB dimers. Once the preferred IκB is bound, dimer exchange no longer occurs over a period of days. A mathematical model of the cellular distribution of these canonical NFκB transcription factors based on the revised binding affinities recapitulates intracellular observations and provides simple, precise explanations for observed cellular phenomena.
Synergistic Activity of Bendamustine in Combination with Doxorubicin and Bortezomib in Multiple Myeloma Cells

Bendamustine is a purine analogue/alkylator hybrid that has shown potent clinical activity against several human cancer cells including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). In combination with corticosteroids, bendamustine was superior to melphalan in newly diagnosed patients with MM (Ponisch et al. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol, 2006; 132:205–12). In addition, the combination of doxil and bortezomib had been shown to be an effective regimen in MM (Orlowski et al. J Clin Oncol2007; 25:3892–901). However, published data has shown that the combination of bendamustine with doxorubicin (or mitoxantrone) is antagonistic in lymphoma cells in vitro (Chow et al. Haematologica2001; 86:485–93), discouraging the investigation of bendamustine/doxorubicin combination therapy in MM. Here we investigate the in vitro effects of bendamustine (B) in combination with doxorubicin (D) and bortezomib (V) in MM cells. H929 and MM1R myeloma cell lines were cultured in vitro and cellular cytotoxicity was measured by MTS ([3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt) assay. The effect of the combination in terms of additive, antagonistic, or synergistic activity was assessed by Valeriote and Lin’s method (Valeriote and Lin, Cancer Chemother Rep1975; 59:895–900). In repeated experiments, bendamustine alone induced MM cell death in a time and dose-dependent manner, with a bendamustine concentration that was lethal to 50% of cells (LC50) after 48 hours of 34.9± 3.4 μg/ml. Further, when combined with doxorubicin, bendamustine showed no antagonistic effect when cells were exposed to drug for 48 hours. The measured cell survival for the combination of B+D was similar to the calculated expected cell survival based on individual drug activity, indicating an additive effect (Figure 1). In addition, bendamustine showed an additive effect when combined with bortezomib, and as previously shown doxorubicin and bortezomib were synergistic (Figure 1). To test the effect of the combination of all three drugs, cells were cultured with bendamustine (15μg/ml) and doxorubicin (0.03μg/ml) for 48 hours, and bortezomib (2.5nmol/L) was added in the last 24 hours, and cytotoxicity was assayed. The expected cell survival for the combination of B+(D+V) is lower than the product of the effects of B and D+V (Figure 1), indicating a synergistic effect of bendamustine when combined with doxorubicin and bortezomib. These results provide pre-clinical rationale for clinically testing the efficacy of combining bendamustine with the established combination of doxil and bortezomib, which may be a highly effective regimen in the treatment for MM.
Disease, Microbiology, and the Construction of a Colonial Space: Romania and the Central Powers in the First World War

Microbiology, developed in the decades before the First World War, encouraged a particular vision of disease and human social relationships. Some of the consequences of that can be seen in the way ...
Learning at the Racetrack: Data-Driven Methods to Improve Racing Performance Over Multiple Laps

Autonomous vehicles will generate data from the variety of sensors they employ to track the surrounding environment. This data is inherently valuable, as it gives algorithm designers the potential to leverage prior experience in order to improve driving performance over time. This paper uses the lens of autonomous racing to provide an example of how data from previous iterations of driving can be used to improve quantitative metrics of performance. Two complementary algorithms are demonstrated in this paper. The first algorithm uses iterative learning control (ILC) to simultaneously improve lateral and longitudinal tracking of the desired racing trajectory over multiple laps, while the second algorithm is focused on altering the trajectory itself using a search method. When driven experimentally at the limits of handling, the result is a reduction in lap time of nearly 1.4 seconds, a major improvement.
The Effect of Gas Solubility on the Secondary Sorption in a Portland Cement Mortar Observed by X-ray CT

In this study, we investigate the secondary sorption in an air-entrained Portland cement mortar that is purged with different gases— $$\hbox {CO}_{2}, \hbox {CH}_{4}$$ , or $$\hbox {N}_{2}$$ . By altering the gas phase present in the void space, we are able to evaluate how gas solubility influences the secondary sorption. The rate of water sorption in the presence of different gases in the entrained voids was captured using successive 30 min X-ray micro-computed tomography scans for 24 h after water-specimen contact. The results show the higher the solubility of the gas, the faster the mortar reaches saturation. The air voids in the $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ -purged specimen begin to absorb water within 30 min and reach a critical degree of saturation within hours, while the air voids of $$\hbox {N}_{2}$$ and $$\hbox {CH}_{4}$$ -purged specimens show a significantly slower water absorption over 24 h. The high solubility of $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ was found to alter the X-ray mass attenuation value of the water as the water becomes $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ saturated. These tests reveal the gas type present in the void space significantly influences secondary sorption of Portland cement mortars. The findings of this study have implications on predicting mass transport in cement-based materials used in below ground carbon sequestration structures.
Effects of Operating Speed and Traffic Flow on Severe and Fatal Crashes using the U.S. Road Assessment Program Methodology and Field Data Verification

This paper explores the effects of operating speed and traffic flow on roadway safety in light of the methodology provided by the U.S. Road Assessment Program (usRAP). Unlike traditional approaches...
Solvation of simple ions in water at extreme conditions

The interaction of ions and water at high pressure and temperature plays a critical role in Earth and planetary science yet remains poorly understood. Aqueous fluids affect geochemical properties ranging from water phase stability to mineral solubility and reactivity. Here, we report first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of mono-valent ions (Li+, K+, Cl-) as well as NaCl in liquid water at temperatures and pressures relevant to the Earth's upper mantle (11 GPa, 1000 K) and concentrations in the dilute limit (0.44-0.88 m), in the regime of ocean salinity. We find that, at extreme conditions, the average structural and vibrational properties of water are weakly affected by the presence of ions, beyond the first solvation shell, similar to what was observed at ambient conditions. We also find that the ionic conductivity of the liquid increases in the presence of ions by less than an order of magnitude and that the dielectric constant is moderately reduced by at most ∼10% at these conditions. Our findings may aid in the parameterization of deep earth water models developed to describe water-rock reactions.
Competitive sorption of microbial metabolites on an iron oxide mineral

Abstract A large fraction of soil organic matter (SOM) is composed of small molecules of microbial origin. However, the biotic and abiotic cycling of these nutrients is poorly understood and is a critical component of the global carbon cycle. Although there are many factors controlling the accessibility of SOM to microbes, sorption to mineral surfaces is among the most significant. Here, we investigated the competitive sorption of a complex pool of microbial metabolites on ferrihydrite, an iron oxide mineral, using a lysate prepared from a soil bacterium, Pseudomonas stutzeri RCH2. After a 24-h incubation with a range of mineral concentrations, more than half of the metabolites showed significant decreases in solution concentration. Phosphate-containing metabolites showed the greatest degree of sorption followed by dicarboxylates and metabolites containing both nitrogen and an aromatic moiety. Similar trends were observed when comparing sorption of metabolites with an equimolar metabolite mixture rather than a bacterial lysate. Interestingly, ectoine, lysine, two disaccharides and uracil were found not to sorb and may be more bioavailable in iron oxide-rich soils. Additionally, the highest-sorbing metabolites were examined for their ability to mobilize mineral-sorbed phosphate. All phosphate-containing metabolites tested and glutathione released phosphate from the mineral surface within 30 min of metabolite addition. These findings of preferential sorption behavior within a complex pool of microbial metabolites may provide insight into the cycling of SOM and specific nutrient availability. Finally, the release of highly-sorptive metabolites may be an underexplored mechanism utilized by microbial communities to gain access to limited environmental nutrients.
Sexual Minority Women's Health Behaviors and Outcomes After Breast Cancer.

Abstract Purpose: Sexual minority women (e.g., lesbians, bisexual women, and women who prefer a female partner) are a known risk population for overweight, obesity, and mental health problems. Our objective is to compare sexual minority women with breast cancer to a control sample of sexual minority women without cancer to identify differences in healthful lifestyle practices, weight, well-being and mental health. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 85 sexual minority women with a breast cancer history (cases) matched by age and partner status to 85 sexual minority controls without cancer. We compared self-reported physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, weight, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Results: Cases and controls had similar health behaviors, BMI, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Of the weight-related behaviors, meeting the recommended guidelines of physical activity was significantly associated with lower likelihood of being overweight or obese, less depression, ...
Collaborating Around Critical Multiliteracies: A Formula for Success

This article explores facets of effective collaboration between a librarian and a professor in the education field at a master's-level public institution. When we reflected on what made (and continues to make) our collaboration work, we discovered what actions and approaches proved most critical. Accordingly, we frame what helped us collectively become more literate around four pieces of advice: (1) Move what you offer closer to end users and make it “just right”; (2) unite around similar purpose; (3) create wins for all; and (4) leave them wanting more.
Polyclonal hematopoiesis with variable telomere shortening in human long-term allogeneic marrow graft recipients.

Donor-derived hematopoiesis was assessed in 17 patients who received allogeneic marrow grafts from HLA-matched siblings between 1971 and 1980. Complete blood counts were normal or near normal in all patients except one. Chimerism analyses, using either dual-color XY-chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or analysis of variable number tandem repeat loci, indicated that 15 out of 16 patients had greater than 97% donor-derived hematopoiesis, whereas 1 patient had indeterminate chimerism. All 12 recipients of grafts from female donors exhibited polyclonal hematopoiesis by X-linked clonal analysis with the use of molecular probes. Of the 17 recipients, 9 exhibited a less than 1.0-kilobase shortening of granulocyte telomere length compared with their respective donors, according to terminal restriction fragment analysis or flow-FISH with a fluorescein-labeled peptide nucleic acid probe. These data suggest that under standard transplantation conditions, the stem cell proliferative potential is not compromised during hematopoietic reconstitution.
Dividend Commitment and Discount Management: The Distribution Policy of Closed-End Funds

We show that closed-end fund managers can reduce their fund discount by adopting a target distribution policy that commits the fund to distribute at least 10% of its net assets each year. In some cases it is evident that the distribution policy is adopted in response to takeover threats and pressure from investors. We develop a simple model to show that the target distribution policy, by reducing the fund's growth rate of total net assets (TNA), lowers its anticipated exposure to non-fundamental risk (e.g., sentiment risk) - and, thereby, the fund discount. Interestingly, the discount can decrease without any change in the sensitivity of a fund to non-fundamental risk. Empirical evidence confirms that there is a positive and significant relationship between the average TNA growth rate and the level of discount, and that the commitment to a high payout ratio is essential for the target policy to be effective. Moreover, funds with the target policy tend to have higher sensitivity to non-fundamental shocks, suggesting that it is funds with larger potential discounts that have a greater incentive to adopt the target distribution policy.
Analysis and understanding of aptamer and peptide molecular interactions: Application to mucin 1 (Muc1) aptasensor

Molecular level interactions and accessibility to binding site play a critical role in efficacy of biosensors. Details on the orientation and location of binding of a biomarker to a bioreceptor can be obtained through computational modeling and analysis. In the present paper, Molecular Dynamics (MD) was used to model the and understand the molecular interaction within a aptamer based sensor using a known peptide-aptamer combination of anti-mucin 1 S2.2 aptamer and MUC1-G (ADPTRPAPG) peptide in a 150mM NaCl solution to mirror SPR aptasensor conditions. The modeling analysis was further extended to understand the influence of other solvent environments. In the solvent environment of 150mM NaCl, MUC1-G binding event was found to occur consistently in the loop region of the aptamer, and showed a key role of arginine residue of the peptide in the aptamer-peptide binding. To further emulate relevant biosensor application characteristics, variation in aptamer and peptide structure as well as solvent conditions were studied and analyzed. These illustrated the sensitivity and selectivity of MUC1-G peptide-aptamer binding. Selective changes in the solvent conditions to reflect a variety of physiological conditions that can be experienced in biosensor applications were modeled through modifications in the peptide-aptamer-solvent molecular systems. Results indicate that certain modified solvent conditions did not induce binding, but rather association events. Present results indicate even variations in the solvent conditions for biosensor applications can impact the binding. Insights from modeling and analysis illustrate the selectiveness and sensitivity to solvent environments in the case of Mucin 1, a breast cancer biomarker, which are critical to the development of reliable and repeatable biosensors.
Movement Experiences for Preschool Children

(1977). Movement Experiences for Preschool Children. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 15-16.
Lessons learned from radiation disasters.

The triple catastrophe that began in Japan on March 11, 2011 was unprecedented. In the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crisis deteriorated to a Level 7 nuclear accident, the most severe level reserved by the International Atomic Energy Association for accidents involving significant re- leases of radioactive material having the potential for extensive environmental contamination and health consequences. The evacuation zone encompassed 50,000 people living within 20 km of the facility. However, as occurred after the Chernobyl accident, additional communities with high levels of contamination were subsequently identified and evacuated.
rho -synthesis: a 'rhobustness' margin for unstructured nonlinear and time-varying deviations

The author previously (1956, 1983) presented a robustness margin (which is available as a public domain MATLAB add-on toolkit). Although in some cases this criterion is identical to a criterion introduced independently by J.C. Doyle (1982) and by M.G. Safonov (1982), it is shown that in general the author's criterion produces LOG-type control system designs which are more conservative in the anticipated bounds on permissible uncertainties (in the unstructured, norm bounded perturbation case). Nevertheless, it is advocated that rho -syntheses should be performed simultaneously with mu -syntheses in order to illustrate the range of options available. For certain applications, the much lower bandwidth requirements of rho -synthesis may outweigh the greater robustness (or passive adaptivity) of mu -synthesis. Also, there are more technical advantages, such as invariance of the overshoot factor, and only marginal variance of the rate of exponential asymptotic stability and response to external disturbances. >
Go Directly to Jail: How Misaligned Subsidies UndermineCalifornia’s Prisoner Realignment Goals and What IsPossible to Maximize the Law’s Potential

II. FORCING CHANGE: FEDERAL COURT ACTION SPURRED BY STATE INACTION 485 A. The Catalyst: Thirty Years of New Sentencing Laws 485 B. The Road to Plata: Coleman v. Schwarzenegger as a Federal Reaction to a Swelling Prison Population 487 C. The Tipping Point: Brown v. Plata 489
A reform-based framework for observing teaching

For research on teaching to succeed in providing meaningful information, a method to examine teaching in complex classroom settings that is also feasible on a larger scale is needed. Our goal was to design a systematic method for observing classroom teaching that was consistent with reform recommendations and adaptable to large scale use. Our work is embedded in an ongoing urban systemic initiative of a large public school district to reform science and mathematics education. Middle school teachers' enactments of a reform-based science unit were videotaped. Student achievement measures included low, medium, and high cognitive level items developed to match science concepts addressed the unit. Analysis identified specific criteria within seven main analysis categories consistent with reform oriented instructional practices were associated with students' achievement scores. Ideas for adapting this framework to large scale use are discussed.
Dynamic Stabilizing Function of the Deltoid Muscle in Shoulders with Anterior Instability

BackgroundThe stabilizing role of the deltoid muscle has not been extensively studied.PurposeTo study the contribution of the deltoid muscle to anterior stability of the shoulder.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsWe used nine fresh cadaveric shoulders with the arm at 90° of abduction and 90° of external rotation. The position of the humeral head was monitored by an electromagnetic tracking device with 0 and 1.5 kg of anterior translation force; with 0, 1, 3, and 5 kg of force applied to each of the anterior, middle, and posterior portions of the deltoid muscle; and with the capsule intact, vented, and with a simulated Bankart lesion.ResultsWith the capsule intact, anterior displacement was significantly reduced by application of load to the middle deltoid muscle. After the capsule was vented, load application to the anterior, middle, or posterior deltoid muscle significantly reduced anterior displacement. With a simulated Bankart lesion, effects of muscle loading were most apparent: anterior ...
Stakeholder assessment of comparative effectiveness research needs for Medicaid populations

Patients, providers and policy-makers rely heavily on comparative effectiveness research (CER) when making complex, real-world medical decisions. In particular, Medicaid providers and policy-makers face unique challenges in decision-making because their program cares for traditionally underserved populations, especially children, pregnant women and people with mental illness. Because these patient populations have generally been underrepresented in research discussions, CER questions for these groups may be understudied. To address this problem, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality commissioned our team to work with Medicaid Medical Directors and other stakeholders to identify relevant CER questions. Through an iterative process of topic identification and refinement, we developed relevant, feasible and actionable questions based on issues affecting Medicaid programs nationwide. We describe challenges and limitations and provide recommendations for future stakeholder engagement.
Beauty and Generalized Conditionalization: Reply to Horgan and Mahtani

Horgan and Mahtani (Erkenntnis 78: 333–351, 2013) present a new argument for the 1/3 answer to the Sleeping Beauty problem resting on a principle for updating probabilities which they call “generalized conditionalization.” They allege that this new argument is immune to two attacks which have been recently leveled at other arguments for thirdism. I argue that their new argument rests on a probability distribution which is (a) no more justified than an alternative distribution favoring a different answer to the problem, and (b) ultimately unjustified. I go on to show that generalized conditionalization cannot be applied in the manner suggested, given the cogency of the aforementioned attacks on thirder arguments. Hence, the new argument fails to advance the case for the 1/3 answer.
A MWPC X-ray diffractometer facility for protein crystallography

Abstract An area detector X-ray diffractometer facility for protein crystallography has been constructed. It uses up to four MWPCs with delay line readout. The detectors are sealed off, contain a XeCO 2 mixture at atmospheric pressure, and operate at 2650–2700 V. The system has a dead time of 1 μs and is capable of recording data at several hundred kilocounts/s without degradation of resolution.
Magnetic Structures of MnO, FeO, CoO, and NiO

The antiferromagnetic arrangement of moments in MnO, FeO, CoO, and NiO have been investigated by powder neutron diffraction. The results for the four oxides are consistent with a structure in which the magnetic moments are arrayed in ferromagnetic sheets parallel to (111) planes, and the direction of magnetization in neighboring planes is antiparallel. The observation of diffuse neutron scattering limits the precision with which the magnetization direction can be specified. If the diffuse intensity is included with the Bragg scattering, the direction of magnetization in MnO, and NiO lies within the (111) plane; for CoO, the preferred direction is [$\overline{1}\overline{1}7$], intermediate to the (111) plane and the tetragonal axis. The magnetic axis in FeO is perpendicular to the ferromagnetic sheet.
Equivalence of van der Waals Forces between Solids and the Surface-Plasmon Interaction

It is shown that the well-known Lifshitz formula for the retarded van der Waals attraction between two solid half-spaces can be obtained from the zero-point energy of the interacting surface plasmons.
Signature Pedagogies in Doctoral Education: Are They Adaptable for the Preparation of Education Researchers?

This article describes two practices that can be considered signature pedagogies of doctoral education, one in neuroscience (the journal club) and one in English studies (the list). The practices are routinely found in these and neighboring disciplines but are not found in other fields. The journal club and the list share the goal of acquainting students with the literature of a field, but apart from that, they are very different. In addition to teaching students to work with the literature, they serve other pedagogical goals, including socializing students into disciplinary norms and identities. Thus they serve as windows into the underlying culture of their home disciplines. This article considers the value of adapting these practices into education doctoral programs and offers suggestions for how to modify the practices to suit education.
Total anatomic urinary tract replacement and renal transplantation: A surgical strategy to correct severe genitourinary anomalies

During renal transplantation, the donor ureter is normally anastomosed to the recipient bladder. However, preexisting anomalies of the lower urinary tract or previous surgical interventions may render the recipient bladder unusable. Although in such situations urine may be externalized via cutaneous ureterostomy or an ileal conduit, both techniques are frequently complicated by bacterial colonization or chronic infection. To overcome these problems, the authors have been treating such children via extensive, staged, bladder reconstruction (augmentation) before transplantation. On rare occasions, however, the absence of a usable bladder necessitates the creation of a complete neobladder from other visceral tissues. The authors present two cases in which patients underwent complete anatomic reconstruction of the lower urinary tract before renal transplantation. This approach results in the optimal environment for allograft function and leads to a greater rehabilitation than that achieved with urinary diversion.
Inhibition of the Pathogenesis of Spontaneous Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Feeding a High Fat Diet

Spontaneously hypertensive (Okamoto-Aoki) ats (SHR) and normotensive (Wistar-Kyoto) rats (WKY) were fed a regular or a high fat diet when they were weaned; animals from each group were autopsied at 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days of age. SHR fed the high fat diet were cachectic, their pituitary glands were abnormally small, and despite severe hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and adequate corticosterone levels, their zona glomerulosae were completely depleted of lipid, and they did not develop hypertension (110–115 mm Hg) or any manifestation of atheromatous changes. WKY fed the high fat diet became obese, their pituitary glands increased in size, and their normal blood pressure was slightly reduced (90–115 mm Hg). SHR fed the regular diet developed their usual severely elevated hypertension (185–205 mm Hg). It is suggested that the introduction of a high fat diet at an early age will cause hypopituitarism and inhibit the spontaneously appearing hypertension in SHR.
Science and philosophy in Aristotle's Generation of Animals

In the Generation of Animals, Aristotle tries to solve a group of problems which are central both for biology and for Aristotle's philosophical system. The biologist supposes that he has made some progress toward the understanding of life if he has understood how a new life begins; Aristotle shares this concern with origins, and the explanation of animal generation also has metaphysical importance for him. Individual animals are among his paradigm cases of "entities" (ousiai); if his metaphysical system (which depends so much upon the concept of an entity) is to be validated, then the generation of an entity must be explicable within that system. He sketches the sort of explanation which he supposes must be given, in the Metaphysics:
Mechanically Assisted Exfoliation and Functionalization of Thermally Converted Graphene Sheets

Graphene sheets were exfoliated and functionalized by grinding thermally converted graphene (TCG, obtained by thermally expansion of graphite oxide) in ionic liquid with various aryl-diazonium salts. This method results in the separation of graphene layers and addition of aryl groups on the sheets to obtain single layer-graphene; the number of functional groups on the graphene was determined to be roughly 1 in 60 carbons. This solvent-dispersible graphene material could prove desirable for use in composite scaffolds.
Examining effects of Franklin Method metaphorical and anatomical mental images on college dancers’ jumping height

A quasi-experimental design was used to assess effects of Franklin Method images on dancers’ jump height. Thirteen dancers applied four image interventions while performing first position jumps for vertical height analysis. Mean heights and within-trial jump degradation and variability were examined. A repeated-measures mixed model analysis with covariates was used to assess whether jump heights differed significantly from baseline. Two of the four images showed significant increases in jump height above baseline. A linear time effect was also found over the course of the study. Anecdotal self-reports revealed that there appeared to be no correlation between jump height and imagery rating.
Demonstration of an alcohol-chloroform insoluble, periodic acid-Schiff reactive substance in the hypothalamus of the rat

An alcohol-chloroform insoluble, periodic acid-Schiff reactive substance associated with the ependymal lining of the supraoptic and infundibular recesses was demonstrated in the hypothalamus of the white rat. Although the ependyma is stratified and contains cells with long processes throughout the extent of the recesses, the PAS reactive substance is present in very circumscribed areas within the recesses. It was also shown that this PAS reactive substance is not related to neurosecretory material which has an affinity for chrome-alum hematoxylin and aldehyde fuchsin. The regularity of appearance and location of the substance may be taken as evidence in favor of its being a specific material elaborated in the regions mentioned.