cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SOI Materials Characterization

Once Silicon-On-Insulator material has been produced, it is important to characterize it in terms of quality. The most critical parameters are the defect density, the thickness of both the top silicon layer and the buried insulator, the concentration of impurities, the carrier lifetime, and the quality of the silicon-insulator interfaces.
Value, knowledge, and the human equation:

As implied through the issues presented herein, firms must carefully align the value proposition of the IT function with that of the organization. We suggest that firms will increasingly migrate towards strategies and modes of operation that support the cus-tomization of products and services on a mass scale. A key ingredient in accomplish-ing this objective is the creation of an IT function that can deliver systems and technologies that are customized yet modular. Delivery of such systems depends largely on the adoption of processes and development of personnel who can rapidly adapt and configure IT to changes in business conditions. Failure to deliver these systems can result in unrealized corporate objectives and, in some cases, strategic drift.
Growth hormone and aging: A challenging controversy

Although advanced age or symptoms of aging are not among approved indications for growth hormone (GH) therapy, recombinant human GH (rhGH) and various GH-related products are aggressively promoted as anti-aging therapies. Well-controlled studies of the effects of rhGH treatment in endocrinologically normal elderly subjects report some improvements in body composition and a number of undesirable side effects in sharp contrast to major benefits of GH therapy in patients with GH deficiency. Controversies surrounding the potential utility of GH in treatment of a geriatric patient are fueled by increasing evidence linking GH and cancer and by remarkably increased lifespan of GH-resistant and GH-deficient mice. Conservation of cellular signaling mechanisms that influence aging in organisms ranging from worms to mammals suggests that at least some of the results obtained in mutant mice are applicable to the human. We suggest that the normal, physiological functions of GH in promoting growth, sexual maturation and fecundity involve significant costs in terms of aging and life expectancy. Natural decline in GH levels during aging likely contributes to concomitant alterations in body composition and vigor but also may be offering important protection from cancer and other age-associated diseases.
Interaction of magnetic field with blood flow

A mathematical model governing steady laminar flow of an incompressible fluid subjected to a steady magnetic field including internal heating due to Joule effect, heat transfer due to conduction and convection, and thermally induced buoyancy forces has been developed. The thermal buoyancy was accounted for via Boussinesq approximation. To demonstrate effects of the Lorentz and Joule heating on the blood flow, two configurations have been chosen. The first configuration consists of a closed rectangular container (two-dimensional), and the second is a three-dimensional pipe with rectangular cross section. Results of test cases with and without applied magnetic field demonstrate influence of the magnitude of the magnetic field on the recirculating blood flow instability. >
Plasmon enhanced luminescence of Tb3+ doped Li2O-LaF3-Al2O3-SiO2 glass containing Ag nanoparticles

Tb 3+ and Ag co-doped glass nano-composites are synthesized in a glass matrix Li 2 O-LaF 3 -Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 (LLAS) by a melt-quench technique. The nucleation and growth of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were controlled by a thermal annealing process. A broad absorption band peaking at about 420 nm was observed due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag NPs. Annealing of glass samples results in the growth of Ag NPs. Photoluminescence (PL) emission and excitation spectra were measured from glass samples with different Ag concentrations and different annealing times. Plasmon enhanced Tb 3+ luminescence was observed at certain excitation wavelength regions. Luminescence quenching was observed for samples with high Ag concentration and longer annealing time. Our luminescence results suggest that there are two competitive effects, enhancement and quenching, acting on Tb 3+ luminescence in the presence of Ag NPs. The enhancement of Tb 3+ luminescence is mainly attributed to local field effects: the SPR of Ag NPs causes an intensified electromagnetic field around the NPs, resulting in enhanced optical transitions of Tb 3+ ions in the vicinity. The quenching effect in the presence of Ag NPs suggests an energy transfer from Tb 3+ ions to Ag NPs. The competition between the plasmonic enhancement and the quenching effect is discussed for samples with different Ag concentrations and annealing times.
Direct-drive and eddy-current septum magnets

Two types of thin septum magnets, direct-drive and eddy-current, were compared mainly in 2-D magnetic aspects. For the direct-drive type, the leakage field depended on the finite permeability of the magnet core, and not on the septum thickness. It was suggested the leakage field be controlled by reducing the Current in the septum. There were no significant differences between the two types in thermal problems caused by high current densities in the thin septa. The leakage fields with 2 mm septum thicknesses were calculated using OPERA-2d to compare the two types. For the eddy-current type, the leakage fields calculated using OPERA-2d were compared with the calculations from Halbach's model (1994). The leakage fields for the eddy-current type decayed with long time constants.
Frequency detuning of the phase entrainment dynamics of visually coupled rhythmic movements

An order parameter equation for correlated limb movements was applied to rhythmic coordination between the limbs of two people. The interlimb coordination was established and maintained through vision. Manipulations of frequency competition, coupled frequency, and intended mode (in-phase or anti-phase) produced equilibria and fluctuations in relative phase predicted by the order parameter equation and confirmed originally in within-person coordination. It was concluded that there is an elementary coordination dynamics governing the rhythmic coordination between organisms as well as between components of a single organism.
Our continuing interest in manuscripts about education.

JGIM would like to receive more manuscripts with an educational focus that convey important and useful information to its readers. TheJournal is committed to education scholarship and to keeping its readers informed in areas related to instruction, evaluation, and curriculum. The education manuscripts theJournal receives now are variable in quality;JGIM readers deserve more. The editors welcome your comments and your manuscripts.
Evidence for a common epitope on the surface of Mycoplasma gallisepticum defined by monoclonal antibody.

An antigen containing a common epitope in most strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum was purified by isoelectric focusing and used in the production of monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Of several mAb produced, only one mAb reacted with focused component and with all six strains of M. gallisepticum except strain 685. This mAb was designated MG3D6.A5, and it was subsequently purified with immobilized rProtein Atm. The MG3D6.A5 mAb recognized a common epitope on a molecule with relative molecular weight of 98 kilodaltons (kDa), termed p98. No binding was observed when the MG3D6.A5 mAb was reacted against antigens extracted from other mycoplasma species, indicating its species-specificity. Physicochemical studies revealed that p98 had an isoelectric point of 5.2, was stable to heat, and was resistant to periodate oxidation but sensitive to trypsin treatment, suggesting that p98 is a nonglycosylated protein. Furthermore, ultrastructural studies with colloidal gold revealed that M. gallisepticum cells were selectively stained with MG3D6.A5 mAb to p98. The latter was focally distributed on the surface of a mycoplasma cell membrane near the attachment organelle. These results suggest that p98 is a highly conserved protein in M. gallisepticum strains, is immunogenic, and is surface-accessible; its binding specificity to MG3D6.A5 mAb could be used to identify M. gallisepticum in multiple cultures.
Access control for large collections

Efforts to place vast information resources at the fingertips of each individual in large user populations must be balanced by commensurate attention to information protection. For distributed systems with less-structured tasks, more-diversified information, and a heterogeneous user set, the computing system must administer enterprise-chosen access control policies. One kind of resource is a digital library that emulates massive collections of paper and other physical media for clerical, engineering, and cultural applications. This article considers the security requirements for such libraries and proposes an access control method that mimics organizational practice by combining a subject tree with ad hoc role granting that controls privileges for many operations independently, that treats (all but one) privileged roles (e.g., auditor, security officer) like every other individual authorization, and that binds access control information to objects indirectly for scaling, flexibility, and reflexive protection. We sketch a realization and show that it will perform well, generalizes many deployed proposed access control policies, and permits individual data centers to implement other models economically and without disruption.
Revealing two-state protein-protein interactions of calmodulin by single-molecule spectroscopy.

We report a single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and polarization study of conformational dynamics of calmodulin (CaM) interacting with a target peptide, C28W of a 28 amino acid oligomer. The C28W peptide represents the essential binding sequence domain of the Ca-ATPase protein interacting with CaM, which is important in cellular signaling for the regulation of energy in metabolism. However, the mechanism of the CaM/C28W recognition complex formation is still unclear. The amino-terminal (N-terminal) domain of the CaM was labeled with a fluorescein-based arsenical hairpin binder (FlAsH) that enables our unambiguous probing of the CaM N-terminal target-binding domain motions on a millisecond time scale without convolution of the probe-dye random motions. By analyzing the distribution of FRET efficiency between FlAsH labeled CaM and Texas Red labeled C28W and the polarization fluctuation dynamics and distributions of the CaM N-terminal domain, we reveal binding−unbinding motions of t...
Alexia and agraphia with spared spelling and letter recognition abilities.

Abstract A patient with alexia and agraphia had intact spelling and comprehension of spelled words and used a letter-naming strategy to read and write. We propose that there is a graphemic area important for distinguishing graphemic features and for programming movements used in writing. In this patient this area was not functioning or did not have access to the area of visual word images. Therefore, he used an ideographic letter-naming strategy to verbally circumvent his disability and gain access to the area of visual word images.
Absence of transitory [Ca2+]i flux during early in vitro metacyclogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi.

The phorbol ester TPA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) substitutes for CO2 as an agonist for transforming Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes to the metacyclic trypomastigote stage in a starvation medium consisting of phosphate buffered saline + 10 mM proline, 10 mM sodium acetate and 0.035% NaHCO3. Since TPA is thought to stimulate protein kinase C by mimicking the activity of the secondary messenger diacylglycerol, the above result suggested that T. cruzi metacyclogenesis could be activated by a Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase C signal induction pathway. Accordingly, cytosolic calcium flux ([Ca2+]i) in epimastigotes, activated with 5% CO2 or TPA (10(-7) M), was measured with the Ca2+ molecular probe, fluo-3AM. In addition, [Ca2+]i was measured in cells incubated with putative metacyclogenic agonists (e.g. proline, glutamate, bioamines, ionophores and catecholamines). None of the compounds studies, except for EGTA, affected cytosolic Ca2+ levels. Control assays with 11 microM thapsigargin, which mobilizes noncytoplasmic Ca2+ stores by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, validated our fluorometric assay procedure. Although thapsigargin significantly increases cytoplasmic Ca2+ fluorescence, it has no effect on transformation. The protein kinase C inhibitors staurosporine, H-7 and HA 1004 were tested for their effect on T. cruzi metacyclogenesis. Low concentrations of staurosporine and HA 1004 significantly elevated Peru strain transformation while H-7 had no effect on Peru strain metacyclogenesis. Inhibitor H-7 did significantly depress CL transformation. The results indicate that induction of T. cruzi metacyclic trypomastigote formation by CO2 and TPA is not accompanied by changes in cytosolic Ca2+ and do not provide supporting evidence for participation of a protein kinase C-mediated phosphoinositide cascade in metacyclogenesis.
Cultura y Desarrollo: Una Etnografia de las Creencias de una Comunidad Mexicana

Cultura. Desarrollo: Una Etnografia de las Creencias de una Comunidad Mexicana. Lourdes Arizpe. Mexico City: Porrua, with El Colegio de Mexico, 1989. 286 pp. n.p. (paper). ISBN 968-842- 183-9.
Optimized growth of GRIN-SCH quantum well lasers by low pressure organometallic vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract Low pressure organometallic vapor phase epitaxy is used in fabrication of graded index-separate confinement heterostructure single quantum well lasers. Material properties of epitaxial GaAs and (AlGa)As are optimized by improved reactor design resulting in continuous growth of quantum wells (30 A) and linearly graded heterostructures at growth rates of 530 A/min. Computer control and data acquisition are used to monitor and adjust gas flow, valve switching and pressure during growth. Results on lasers with 150 A wells emitting at 835 nm under pulsed conditions at room temperature given external power and slope efficiencies up to 27% and 67% respectively for 100 μ m stripes, with maximum output power exceeding 1.2 W/facet. External power and slope efficiencies for 5 μ m stripes are as high as 36% and 80% respectively with output powers up to 53 mW/facet. These are the best values yet reported for this type of structure grown by OMVPE. In this paper we present details of pertinent growth parameters required to realize these results.
Using Decision Sciences to Enhance Entrepreneurial Foresight: The Comprehensive Situation Mapping Approach

The theoretical simplicity of contrasting the notion of energetic search of Baron and Fiet with that of alertness (without search) of Kirzner have been winning over more complex yet more actionable formulations. In contrast, this paper introduces a less dogmatic and more actionable integrated framework that could be viewed as either passive search or active alertness. By investigates how the thinking and methods of decision sciences can assist with capturing alertness, the paper shows how foresight can be implemented in practice through a newer form of causal mapping, Acarâ€™s Comprehensive Situation Mapping (CSM). This is an enhanced form of causal mapping that lends itself to dialectical debate and assumption analysis. It also possesses computational properties that allow it to devise and compute change scenarios. Bringing CSM into the field of entrepreneurship augments the latterâ€™s analytical capability for opportunity recognition and contributes an actionable approach to entrepreneurial strategy selection.
In Situ Remediation of Nickel Phytotoxicity for Different Plant Species

Abstract Acidic nickel (Ni)-contaminated soils in the vicinity of a Ni refinery at Port Colborne (Ontario, Canada) cause Ni phytotoxicity and require remediation. Thus, a greenhouse test with 11 plant species with a wide range of susceptibility to Ni toxicity was conducted to determine if Ni phytotoxicity of all species could be ameliorated by a high rate of limestone. At the original pH of 5.2, the Welland soil (Typic Epiaquoll; 2900 mg kg−1 Ni) was severely phytotoxic to all plant species tested. Toxicity symptoms in dicots included interveinal chlorosis and necrosis of leaves. In grasses, a banded chlorosis was present. Two limestone rates, 2.5 and 50 Mg ha−1, were included in the test. Both liming and plant species significantly affected soil pH, and 0.01 M Sr(NO3)2-extractable soil Ni. Increase in pH exponentially decreased Sr(NO3)2-extractable soil Ni. Grass species were more resistant to Ni toxicity than dicots. Liming soil to pH of 5.9–6.3 enabled good growth of several grass species, but dicot sp...
Real-time source separation on a field programmable gate array platform

In this paper, we present a real-time implementation of the ideal binary-mask algorithm, which is a promising approach for enhancing speech intelligibility. Our implementation is hardware efficient, making it suitable for embedded biomedical devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants. We tested our algorithm implementation on an FPGA platform, and produced results that verify that it effectively performs source separation with 25 µs latency.
Causes and patterns of readmissions in patients with common comorbidities: retrospective cohort study.

Objective To evaluate the primary diagnoses and patterns of 30 day readmissions and potentially avoidable readmissions in medical patients with each of the most common comorbidities.
Legal realism and human rights

This essay uses Schmitt's work to cast new light on the relevance of the American legal tradition known as ‘legal realism’ for the history and analysis of human rights. It does so by exploring several of Schmitt's most famous criticisms of international law and human rights, and then suggests how they might correspond with a widespread critical legal tradition in the 1920s and 1930s. This essay describes in detail two fundamental features of this tradition: historicism and realism. It concludes by suggesting that a return to some of these earlier law writers and texts might be a more substantive way to develop a constructive critical position in the fields of human rights and international law than an overreliance on the politically provocative (and problematic) rhetorical flourishes of Carl Schmitt.
TNFα -p55 receptors: medullary brainstem immunocytochemical localization in normal and vagus nerve-transected rats

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α ) is a potent modulator of autonomic reflex mechanisms that control the stomach. Evidence suggests that TNF α action directly on vago-vagal reflex control circuits causes the autonomic misregulation of digestion manifested as gastrointestinal stasis, nausea, and emesis associated with illness. Neurophysiological studies indicated that TNF α may have effects on vagal afferents in the solitary nucleus, as well as neurons of the solitary nucleus (NST) and dorsal motor nucleus (DMN) of the vagus. The aim of this study was to determine the location of the TNFR1 receptor (p55) in the medulla using immunocytochemical methods. We devised a technique for localizing the p55 receptor using heat-induced antigen recovery in fixed tissue sections. This protocol allowed us to demonstrate that dense p55-immunoreactivity (p55-ir) is constitutively present on central (but not peripheral) vagal afferents in the solitary tract (ST) and nucleus; p55-ir is also present on afferents entering the spinal trigeminal nucleus. Unilateral supra-nodose vagotomy eliminated p55-ir from ipsilateral central vagal afferents. Virtually all neurons in the brainstem appeared to express p55-ir at a low level, i.e., just above background. However, vagotomy caused a dramatic up-regulation of p55-ir in vagal motor neurons. This increase in p55-ir in axotomized neurons may play a pivotal role in the connection between the occurrence of the injury and the initiation of apoptotic processes resulting in elimination of damaged neurons.
Clery Act: Road to Compliance

The purpose of this study was to explore what factors served as impediments to institutional efforts to comply with Clery Act guidelines through the perceptions of campus law administrators. Statistical analyses were performed on data collected from an online survey, which was distributed to members of the International Association of Campus Law Administrators currently working at colleges and universities in the United States. Survey items were designed to explore the relationship between the following factors and Clery Act compliance: (a) institutional resistance, (b) ambiguity in the Act, (c) lack of funding, (d) lack of support, and (e) inaccurate reporting. Mazmanian and Sabatier’s Theory of Effective Policy Implementation was used as a conceptual framework to examine challenges to institutional compliance with the Clery Act statute. The findings in this study will be used to help college administrators assess how to improve the performance level of campus law personnel in relation to promoting campus safety and complying with the Clery Act statute.
Multitasking with ubiquitin through multivalent interactions

Ubiquitylation - the post-translational modification of proteins with ubiquitin - serves powerful regulatory roles in eukaryotes. It can label proteins for destruction or activate gene transcription. Despite its versatility, ubiquitin is used to signal for cellular events with exquisite specificity. To achieve both versatility and specificity, ubiquitin signaling pathways use multivalency, namely the coordinated use of multiple interaction surfaces. Multivalent interactions regulate each stage of ubiquitin signaling pathways, and appear within the ubiquitin signal, the ubiquitylated substrate, ubiquitin processing enzymes and ubiquitin recognition proteins.
The Impact of Virginia's Career Information Delivery System.

The Virginia VIEW Career Information Delivey System has served as an impetus for generating excitement and new activities in local guidance programs.
Of Myths and Monkeys A Critical Look at a Theory of Critical Mass

This article discusses the so-called Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon that has been used to support a theory of critical mass in human group consciousness. Discussed are the actual studies of macaque behavior transmission and how they have been misrepresented. In considering some of the factors contributing to this story's currency in human potential circles, I have explored pseudoscience and its contradictions, ambivalence toward established science, and the lack of adequate grounds for appraisal of scientific claims. The Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon is described as a bad myth that compares poorly with the powerful sustaining myth of the human potential movement, i.e., a belief in the possibility of a world composed of free, responsible, creative, rational persons participating together in the creation of a humane, pluralistic, global community.
Sol-gel polymerization: analysis of molecular mechanisms and the effect of hydrogen

Abstract The polymerization of silicic acid molecules (H4SiO4) was simulated using classical molecular dynamics with multibody potentials. The mechanisms involved in the condensation process were analyzed. Although a condensation mechanism was observed in the simulations which corresponds to the mechanism commonly assumed, additional mechanisms not previously presented were also observed. The advancement of polymerization was found to depend on the non-bridging oxygens' coordination with hydrogen, the number of bridging oxygens around five-coordinated silicons and atomic momentum. The results show consistency with the chemistry described for the acid catalyzed sol-gel process where hydrogen acts as the catalyst and chains form before rings.
Associations Among Beta Backscatter Measurements and Other Measures of Shell Strength

Abstract EGG shell strength presents a paradoxical situation since current measures of specific gravity and shell thickness are not highly correlated to actual shell strength as measured by impact or crushing methods (Tyler and Geake, 1963). Furthermore, there is insufficient proof that impact or crushing tests are highly related to the egg's ability to survive the marketing channels without becoming cracked or broken. The high relationship between specific gravity and actual shell thickness and the fact that specific gravity measurements are obtained on unbroken eggs has led to a widespread use of this technique in assessing shell quality. Tyler and Geake (1963, 1964a, b, c, d) described the associations between egg shell strength and crushing and impact test. They found that the waist was stronger than the broad pole, which, in turn, was stronger than the narrow pole by impact test. However, when crushing methods were used, the order was reversed, indicating . . .
Cortical Actin Tension, Elastic Modulus and Cytosolic Pressure in Fibroblasts Determined using Atomic Force Microscopy

The cortical actin cytoskeleton lies just beneath the cell membrane to define cell shape and mechanical properties and thus plays a key role in cell biology processes such as migration and morphogenesis. The organization of actin filaments and actomyosin contractility are known to contribute to modifying the mechanical properties of the cortex. However, recent work report how these properties contribute to cortex tension and intracellular pressure. Here we propose a new method for using an atomic force microscope to determine actin cortex mechanical properties of non-adherent human foreskin fibroblasts including the cortex tension and intracellular pressure, but additionally, the cortex elastic modulus which has not been measured before. First, we validated the method by measuring the surface tension of water-in-oil microdrops deposited on a glass surface. We extracted an average tension of T∼20.2 nN/µm, which agrees with macroscopic experimental methods. We then proceeded to measure cortical actin mechanical properties in non-adherent fibroblasts, and compare this to the properties after inducing two perturbations (i) adding blebbistatin which inhibits myosin II molecular motor activity, and (ii) adding CK-666 which inhibits Arp2/3-mediated actin branching. Our results show that perturbing the actin cortex had significant changes in each of the cortical mechanical properties: blebbistatin reduced them by ∼50%, while CK-666 increased them by ∼2-fold. These results validate our novel method for determining the quantitative mechanics of the actin cortex in eukaryotic cells.
Spinal pedicle fixation: reliability and validity of roentgenogram-based assessment and surgical factors on successful screw placement

The increased popularity of pedicle fixation prompted research to address two issues: the reliability and validity of roentgenograms as a technique for evaluating the success of pedicle fixation, and the effects of surgical factors on successful fixation. Thus, does approach--the point and angle of screw insertion, surgeon experience, practice, level of the spine involved, and screw size--effect success of pedicle fixation? Eight fresh thoracolumbar spines were harvested and cleaned of all soft tissues. Two surgeons, one more experienced in pedicle fixation than the other, used two pedicle fixation approaches (Weinstein and Roy-Camille) on both the left and right sides at levels T11-S1 of each specimen. All screws were placed under anteroposterior (AP) and lateral c-arm control. For specimens 1 to 3, 5.5 mm screws were used at T11-L1, and 7.0 mm screws at L2-S1. Unacceptable failure rates at L2 and L3 for the first three specimens resulted in a change of instrumentation for the remaining specimens, with 5.5 mm screws used at T11-L3 and 7.0 mm screws at L4-S1. When surgeons completed the fixations for a specimen, AP and lateral roentgenograms were taken and both surgeons independently evaluated the films to assess the success of each fixation. Failure was defined as evidence of any cortical perforation on any side of the pedicle in or outside of the spinal canal. After completing the roentgenogram evaluation, the specimen was transected in the midline, and the success of each pedicle fixation was evaluated by visual/tactile inspection. There were no disagreements between surgeons on the visual/tactile evaluations of the specimens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An Adaptive Robotic Tablet Gaming System for Post-Stroke Hand Function Rehabilitation

Physical therapy is a common treatment for the rehabilitation of hemiparesis, or the weakness of one side of the body. Stroke is a common cause of hemiparesis. Stroke survivors regularly struggle with motivation and engagement, especially in-between sessions when the therapist is absent from the exercising process. As a solution, we have developed a robotic tablet gaming system to facilitate post-stroke hand function rehabilitation. Healthy subject pilot studies have been completed to verify that this system increases engagement and is capable of encouraging specific therapeutic motions. In the future, a learning model algorithm will be added to the system to assess the patient's progress and optimize the recovery time.
Oxidative Desulfurization Process Monitoring Using Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

Clean fuel legislation throughout the world is driving the demand for ultralow-sulfur (<10 ppm) diesel (ULSD) fuel. Even though hydrodesulfurization remains the preferred technology to produce ULSD, the high associated costs lead to an increased interest in alternative processes, such as oxidative desulfurization (ODS). Monitoring the reacting species throughout the process is helpful for developing and/or optimizing ODS processes, although this has been difficult in real samples (complex mixtures). In this study, a hydrotreated diesel was subjected to a three-step ODS process (involving oxidation, extraction, and polishing) and thoroughly characterized using two-dimensional gas chromatography (2DGC) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). The obtained detailed speciation before and after each process step allows for monitoring the conversion of all sulfur species and assessing the process selectivity. The detailed analyses revealed that sulfur species from all familie...
The heme precursor delta-aminolevulinate blocks peripheral myelin formation

Delta-aminolevulinic acid (delta-ALA) is a heme precursor implicated in neurological complications associated with porphyria and tyrosinemia type I. Delta-ALA is also elevated in the urine of animals and patients treated with the investigational drug dichloroacetate (DCA). We postulated that delta-ALA may be responsible, in part, for the peripheral neuropathy observed in subjects receiving DCA. To test this hypothesis, myelinating cocultures of Schwann cells and sensory neurons were exposed to delta-ALA (0.1-1 mM) and analyzed for the expression of neural proteins and lipids and markers of oxidative stress. Exposure of myelinating samples to delta-ALA is associated with a pronounced reduction in the levels of myelin-associated lipids and proteins, including myelin protein zero and peripheral myelin protein 22. We also observed an increase in protein carbonylation and the formation of hydroxynonenal and malondialdehyde after treatment with delta-ALA. Studies of isolated Schwann cells and neurons indicate that glial cells are more vulnerable to this pro-oxidant than neurons, based on a selective decrease in the expression of mitochondrial respiratory chain proteins in glial, but not in neuronal, cells. These results suggest that the neuropathic effects of delta-ALA are attributable, at least in part, to its pro-oxidant properties which damage myelinating Schwann cells.
Annotations to Control Parallelism and Reduction Order in the Distributed Evaluation of Functional Programs

When evaluating a functional program on a network of processors, it is necessary to decide when parallelism is desirable, which work may be transferred to another processor, and in what form the work is to be transferred. If the wrong decisions are made, a parallel evaluation may require asymptotically more time than a sequential evaluation, owing to communication costs. The introduction of annotations to give the programmer control over the above decisions is proposed. The annotations and their effects are defined in terms of the lambda calculus. Each application must have one of three annotations. No other annotations are required. Examples and possible extensions to this work, including annotated combinators, are briefly considered. 24 references.
Second Language Acquisition Research: A Resource for Changing Teachers' Professional Cultures?.

This article situates the role that second language acquisition research can potentially play in promoting change in teachers' methodological beliefs and practices. Drawing on an area of sociological enquiry known as diffusion of innovations research, the article first reviews a theoretical framework for understanding change in language education, which is constructed by asking the question “Who adopts what, where, when, why, and how?” The article then discusses the practical applications of this framework with reference to what needs to be done if the innovation of task-based language teaching (TBLT) is to become part of the mainstream in language education.
Factor V Leiden Protects Against Blood Loss and Transfusion After Cardiac Surgery

Background— The outcome of cardiac surgery is influenced by several factors, but the impact of specific genetic variants has not been systematically explored. Because blood conservation is a pressing issue in cardiac surgery, we tested the hypothesis that factor V Leiden (FVL), a common coagulation factor polymorphism, may protect against blood loss and transfusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods and Results— We enrolled 517 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, including 26 heterozygous FVL carriers, and evaluated the impact of FVL on chest tube output and transfusion by using univariate and multivariate techniques. For patients with FVL, blood loss at 6 (238±131 mL) and 24 hours (522±302 mL) was significantly lower than that for noncarriers (358±259 mL and 730±452 mL; P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). In a multivariate regression analysis, controlling for ethnicity and factors known to affect blood loss, FVL was a significant independent contributor at both time points. Using a similar ...
Graduate education in public health nursing: evaluation and recommendations.

A survey was conducted of graduates of ten public health nursing master's degree programs that support the aggregate approach to public health nursing. Topics included activities related to the aggregate focus, demographic and employment characteristics, job satisfaction, and reasons for selecting positions. There was a high level of employment among the respondents, and they tended to be satisfied with their jobs. They worked in diverse settings and held positions ranging from staff nurse to top administrator. Although the graduates performed aggregate focus activities in any setting, there were differences in level of performance among persons in the different types of positions. Based on analysis of the data, recommendations are made in areas of graduate programs, graduates, and employers and communities.
Incremental transmission pricing, the comparability standard, and an alternative to the FERC's ‘higher of’ policy

FERC`s {open_quotes}higher of{close_quotes} policy would result in a one-sided vintage-pricing system. It should also abandon this policy because it fails any fair test of comparability. A better option is a second-price sealed-bid auction, which is neither one-sided nor vintage, and satisfies the comparability standard. One of the main requirements for efficient and effective competition in the electric utility industry is a sound method for providing third-party access to a transmission-owning utility`s transmission grid. Transmission access is crucial to effective regulatory policy because of its effect on the competitiveness of bulk and retail electric markets, the location of generation resources, and the nature and extent of capital investments in generation and transmission facilities. In pursuit of a more competitive electric utility industry, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 provides the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with the authority to compel access to a transmission-owning utility`s transmission grid on a non-discriminatory basis. This paper reviews the FERC`s transmission pricing policy and offers criticisms and suggestions for improvement. After concluding that the method for treating opportunisty costs under the `higher of` policy should be abandoned, the authors propose an alternative pricing method grounded on a bidding process that is superior to the currentmore » `higher of` policy and consistent with the FERC`s recently announced Comparability Standard. The alternative pricing method also affects the treatment of expansion costs under the `higher of` policy. Thus, the authors also recommend that regional transmission arrangements be fostered which administrate expansion planning and financing on a more non-discriminatory and efficient basis.« less
AI-15EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR-LIKE MODULE CONTAINING MUCIN-LIKE HORMONE RECEPTOR 2 ROLE IN PREDICTING SURVIVAL IN INVASIVE GLIOMAS

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) module-containing mucin-like receptor 2 (EMR2) is a member of the seven span transmembrane adhesion G-protein coupled receptor subclass. This protein is expressed in a subset of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and associated with an invasive phenotype. The expression pattern and functional significance of EMR2 in low grade or anaplastic astrocytomas is unknown and our goal was to expand and further define EMR2's role in gliomas with an aggressive invasive phenotype. Using the TCGA survival data we describe EMR2 expression patterns across histologic grades of gliomas and demonstrate an association between increased EMR2 expression and poor survival (p < 0.05). We support this data with qPCR of EMR2 expression in 3 separate tumor grades from our own brain tumor research center showing increase in EMR2 expression correlates with tumor grade (p < 0.05). This data supports our prior functional data depicting that EMR2-positive neoplasms possess a greater capacity for infiltrative and metastatic spread. Genomic analysis suggests that EMR2 overexpression is associated with the mesenchy mal GBM subtype(p < 0.0001). We also demonstrate that immunohistorchemistry (IHC) is a feasible method for screening GBM patients for EMR2 expression. Protein and mRNA analysis demonstrated variable expression of all isoforms of EMR2 in all glioma grades, however GBM displayed the most diverse isoforms expression pattern as well as the highest expression of the EGF1-5 isoform of EMR2. Finally, a correlation of an increase in EMR2 expression after bevacizumab treatment in glioma cells lines as well as in an animal model is identified (P < 0.05). This observation should serve as the impetus for future studies to determine if this up-regulation of EMR2 plays a role in the observation of the diffuse and increasingly invasive recurrence patterns witnessed in a subset of GBM patients after bevacizumab treatment.
Acoustic events semantic detection, classification, and annotation for persistent surveillance applications

Understanding of group activity based on analysis of spatiotemporally correlated acoustic sound events has received a minimum attention in the literature and hence is not well understood. Identification of group sub-activities such as: Human-Vehicle Interactions (HVI), Human-Object Interactions (HOI), and Human-Human Interactions (HHI) can significantly improve Situational Awareness (SA) in Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS). In this paper, salient sound events associated with group activities are preliminary identified and applied for training a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) whose features are employed as feature vectors for training of algorithms for acoustic sound recognition. In this paper, discrimination of salient sounds associated with the HVI, HHI, and HOI events is achieved via a Correlation Based Template Matching (CMTM) classifier. To interlinked salient events representing an ontology-based hypothesis, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is employed to recognize spatiotemporally correlated events. Once such a connection is established, then, the system generates an annotation of each perceived sound event. This paper discusses the technical aspects of this approach and presents the experimental results for several outdoor group activities monitored by an array of acoustic sensors.
Importance of microbial natural products and the need to revitalize their discovery

Microbes are the leading producers of useful natural products. Natural products from microbes and plants make excellent drugs. Significant portions of the microbial genomes are devoted to production of these useful secondary metabolites. A single microbe can make a number of secondary metabolites, as high as 50 compounds. The most useful products include antibiotics, anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, but products for many other applications, e.g., antivirals, anthelmintics, enzyme inhibitors, nutraceuticals, polymers, surfactants, bioherbicides, and vaccines have been commercialized. Unfortunately, due to the decrease in natural product discovery efforts, drug discovery has decreased in the past 20 years. The reasons include excessive costs for clinical trials, too short a window before the products become generics, difficulty in discovery of antibiotics against resistant organisms, and short treatment times by patients for products such as antibiotics. Despite these difficulties, technology to discover new drugs has advanced, e.g., combinatorial chemistry of natural product scaffolds, discoveries in biodiversity, genome mining, and systems biology. Of great help would be government extension of the time before products become generic.
Noise and Politics

Paul Lucier is currently a Fellow at the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology at MIT. He is the author of Scientists and Swindlers: Consulting on Coal and Oil in America, 1820-1890 (forthcoming). He is interested in the development of the earth sciences in America; the technology of mining; issues of fraud, corruption and misconduct in science; and, more generally, the interrelations among science, industry and the law.
Review or True? Using Higher-Level Thinking Questions in Social Studies Instruction

Asking surface-level questions is a common practice among educators. Delva Daines's (1986) pilot study indicated that 93 percent of the questions asked during lessons were at the literal level of comprehension and that it was very common for the teachers to restate, rephrase, or answer their own questions before the student had an opportunity to respond. This article provides a foundation for K-12 teachers to begin the implementation of asking higher-level questions in their classrooms and engaging students in critical thinking activities. Using the work of Benjamin Bloom (1956) and Kagan (1999), actual questions and ideas that can be used before, during, and after readings in the classroom will strengthen the ability of all students to think.
Risk assessment in environmental policy-making

Environmental policy-making has become more dependent on formal, quantitative risk assessment because of increasing attention to the prevention of human health damage from toxic chemicals. Risk assessment helps set priorities for regulation of the very large numbers of chemicals that are of potential concern and helps direct limited social and government resources against the most significant risks. Although the scientific basis for risk assessment is often uncertain and the public and its representatives have often been confused by its use in regulatory decisions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently uses a variety of risk assessment techniques to set priorities, tailor regulations, and make decisions at particular sites. The Environmental Protection Agency also attempts to make the practice of risk assessment more consistent throughout the agency and to improve public understanding of the meaning of risk assessment and risk management.
Ischemia at a distance—So close yet so far

ST segment elevation in characteristic electrocardiographic leads during an acute myocardial infarction generally allows correct identification of the coronary artery occluded (1). Electrocardiographic changes, usually ST segment depression, are often noted in other leads, presumably representing myocardium sub served by other coronary arteries. What do such changes mean? Are they a benign electrical phenomenon or a harbinger of trouble ahead? Ekmekci et al. (2) noted that ST segment elevation recorded directly from the anterior epicardial surface after left anterior descending coronary artery ligation in the dog was immediately associated with ST segment depression recorded from the epicardial surface of the posterior left ventricular wall, directly opposite the evolving infarct (Fig. 1). Approximately 15 to 20 minutes later, electrodes from the periphery of the infarct, initially recording mild ST elevation, began recording ST depression as well, with the surrounding normal tissue demonstrating isoelectric ST segments. Hence, ST depression was not only a secondary electrical phenomenon, as evidenced over the posterior wall opposite the infarct, but also a marker of injury or infarction, most likely subendocardial in location, at the margins of the infarct. Nonetheless, the concept that ST depression represented only a secondary or "reciprocal change" in the presence of an acute myocardial infarction became firmly entrenched in electrocardiographic parlance. Review of hypotheses based on previous clinical studies. Recently there has been renewed interest in the significance of ST segment depression in electrocardiographic leads presumably remote from the zone of the acute infarction. Schuster and Bulkley (3) noted multivessel coronary disease in 20 autopsy patients with postinfarction chest pain associated with electrocardiographic changes (usually ST depression), recorded in leads remote from the zone of the occluded vessel. They coined the phrase "ischemia at a
Demonstration of integrated micro-electro-mechanical switch circuits for VLSI applications

Due to transistor leakage, CMOS circuits have a well-defined lower limit on their achievable energy efficiency [1]. Once this limit is reached, power-constrained applications will face a cap on their maximum throughput independent of their level of parallelism. Avoiding this roadblock requires an alternate switching device with steeper sub-threshold slope—i.e., lower V DD /I on for the same I on /I off [2]. One promising class of such devices with nearly ideal I on /I off characteristics are electro-statically actuated micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) switches [6]. Although mechanical movement makes MEM circuit delay significantly larger than that of CMOS, we have recently shown that with optimized circuit topologies MEM switches may potentially enable ∼10x lower energy over CMOS at up to ∼100MHz frequencies [3].
The effects of behavioral procedures on tardive dyskinesias

Several behavioral procedures were used to reduce the frequency of tardive dyskinesia movements in two subjects. In one subject, overcorrection and positive and negative feedback reduced the frequency of the movements and may have contributed to the movements disappearing during the study. In another subject, the same procedure decreased the frequency of the movement in the treatment setting but no generalization occurred to another setting. Two other subjects, diagnosed as having tardive dyskinesia in one setting did not exhibit measurable movement disorders in the observation setting.