cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unintended Consequence of Proposition 47 on DUI - Evidence from Los Angeles

This study investigates the impact of Proposition 47 on driving under influence (DUI) related to drugs within Los Angeles. Results of interrupted time series analysis as well as event study and difference-in-difference analyses indicate a short-term increase in DUI related to drugs to be an unintended consequence of this proposition. In the longer term, there appears to be a declining trend in DUI related to drugs, however, it does not go back to levels that existed prior to the enactment of the proposition. The absence of such trends for DUI related to alcohol corroborate the results.
The Incidence of Cancer Associated Thrombosis is Increasing Over Time.

Abstract Cancer associated thrombosis (CAT) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with malignancy and varies by primary cancer type, stage and therapy. We aimed to characterize the incidence, risk factors, temporal trends and the effect on mortality of CAT. The California Cancer Registry was linked to the statewide hospitalization database to identify individuals with the 13 most common malignancies diagnosed 2005 -2017 and determine the 6 and 12-month cumulative incidence of CAT by venous thromboembolism (VTE) location, tumor type and stage after adjusting for competing risk of death. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to determine risk factors associated with CAT and the effect of CAT on all-cause mortality. 942,019 patients with cancer were identified; 62,003 (6.6%) had an incident diagnosis of CAT. Patients with pancreatic, brain, ovarian, and lung cancer had the highest and patients with breast and prostate cancer had the lowest 12-month cumulative incidence of CAT. For most malignancies, men, those with metastatic disease and more co-morbidities, and African-Americans (vs. non-Hispanic Whites) were at highest risk for CAT. Patients diagnosed with cancer 2014-2017 had higher risk of CAT compared to those diagnosed 2005-2007. CAT was associated with increased overall mortality for all malignancies (HR ranges 1.89 - 4.79). The incidence of CAT increased over time and was driven by an increase in PE±DVT. CAT incidence varies based on tumor type and stage, and on individual risk factors including gender, race/ethnicity, and co-morbidities. For all tumor types CAT is associated with an increased mortality.
Multi-Scale Control and Modeling of Power-Electronic Systems and Networks

Power-electronic control and modeling have gone through fundamental shift in its approach with time slowly but surely replacing reduced-order-manifold-based approaches proposed decades back. With the revolution in embedded processors and advancements in multi-objective optimization, stability theory, hybrid systems, and communication/information theory, radically new multi-scale spatio-temporal approaches are being developed and implemented that are showing unprecedented promise for plurality of power-electronic applications and changing the mindset regarding the control and modeling of such hybrid dynamical switching-power systems. At the actuation level, the advent of rapid switching wide-bandgap devices is enabling the accelerated penetration of such next-generation controls across plurality of voltage and power levels encompassing radically improved, new, and complex power-electronic systems. This keynote will begin with an outline on the role of control in traditional power-electronic systems and networks and how they shape the behavior of such hybrid dynamical systems. Subsequently, an overview of the traditional power-electronic control, analysis, and modeling approaches will be provided along with brief discussions on their strengths and limitations. That leads to the future of controls in power electronics and what should and could be done beyond traditional power-electronic control that addresses existing, evolving, and future applications needs encompassing wide temporal and spatial scales? This talk will provide some insights on how and what radically new ideas may need to be synthesized that reach far beyond historical and conventional power-electronic control needs with wide power-conversion applications.
DataStory™: an interactive sequential art approach for data science and artificial intelligence learning experiences

Technical training in the fields of data science and artificial intelligence has recently become a highly desirable skill for industry positions as well as a focus of STEM education programs in higher education. However, most of the educational training and courses in data science and artificial intelligence are abstract and highly technical which is not appropriate for all audiences. In this paper, we propose a sequential art approach that uses visual storytelling with integrated coding learning experiences to teach data science concepts. A scoping literature review was conducted to answer the following question: does sufficient evidence exist in the literature to support a sequential art approach to data science and A.I. education? The learning science, sequential art, and dual coding literature bases were then interrogated to answer that question. With knowledge gained from this review, an initial DataStory™ prototype was constructed, using a technical platform capable of delivering an engaging and interactive sequential art learning experience. And finally, findings from a focus group study using the DataStory™ prototype are discussed in which participant feedback to this new learning experience is reported.
Introduction to the Modern Theory of Dynamical Systems: SYSTEMS WITH SMOOTH INVARIANT MEASURES AND MORE EXAMPLES

Certain classes of invariant measures are natural for smooth systems. Those are absolutely continuous measures, that is, measures that are given by densities in local coordinate charts. In the first section we establish general criteria for the existence of such measures in three classes of dynamical systems: discrete-time invertible and noninvertible and continuous-time invertible systems. We demonstrate how those criteria can be used to show existence and uniqueness for smooth invariant measures for expanding maps. In the rest of this chapter we describe several classes of dynamical systems that arise from classical mechanics and differential geometry. Due to the presence of an extra structure all these systems preserve a naturally defined smooth invariant measure. Along the way we enrich our collection of standard examples by a few interesting items. Existence of smooth invariant measures a. The smooth measure class . The Krylov–Bogolubov Theorem 4.1.1 establishes the existence of an invariant measure for any topological dynamical system on a compact metrizable space. Corollary 4.1.4 says that an invariant measure reflects the asymptotic behavior of almost all points with respect to that measure. Yet it is unclear just how much information this really gives. For example, if there is a periodic point, then one can consider the measure concentrated on the periodic orbit. It is invariant and trivially reflects the asymptotics of the periodic point, but gives no information about any other point.
The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration

On June 21, 1985, after years of analysis and discussion, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) adopted a final version of a proposed model law on international commercial arbitration (the Model Law).1 The Model Law, which complements the earlier UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules of Procedure, is designed to harmonize and unify the laws of member nations to facilitate international commercial arbitration
SU-D-204-02: Dual-Energy Based Spectral Mammography for Characterization of Breast Lesion Composition: A Postmortem Study

Purpose: To investigate whether suspicious breast lesions can be characterized by decomposition into constituent materials using dual-energy spectral mammography. Methods: Postmortem breasts were imaged in the mammographic energy range 26–35kVp using a silicon based spectral mammography system. Plastic water and adipose-equivalent lesion disks (0.5 cm in thickness and 2 cm in diameter) of varying densities (0–100% plastic water) were inserted into the breast tissue during imaging. Dual-energy decomposition of breast images was performed based on calibration coefficients obtained from a previous phantom study. The low- and high-energy breast images were decomposed into constituent water and adipose-equivalent thickness images with each pixel value indicating the actual thickness of the constituent basis material. The thickness of water and adipose in the lesion disks were then calculated by choosing circular, concentric ROIs within and around the disks. The resulting water densities in the lesion disks were estimated and compared with the known densities of the disks. Results: The measured (DM) and known (DK) water density measurements of the lesions were related as DM = 1.12DK + 0.02 with r2=0.98. A root-mean-square (RMS) error of 9% was calculated. Conclusion: The results indicate that dual-energy spectral mammography can be used to quantify the composition of breast lesions, which may improve the predictive power for malignant lesions in screening mammography.
Chapter 4 Age-related changes in Down syndrome brain and the cellular pathology of Alzheimer disease

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on age-related changes in the Down syndrome brain and the cellular pathology of Alzheimer disease (AD). Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common identifiable causes of mental retardation, affecting 1 or 2 individuals per 1000 live births. In DS, precocious age-related degenerative changes of the skin, hair, and lens of the eye are encountered commonly. Mortality studies in institutionalized populations demonstrate a higher rate of deaths for DS cases over the age of 50 years than for retarded individuals without DS. It has been noted that the youngest case in the collection of brains with cortical neuritic plaques (NP), associated presumably with AD, was a 37-year old person with DS. Many studies have confirmed that the neuropathological changes characteristic of AD are present by the fourth decade in virtually all cases of DS and increase in severity with advancing age. The relatively high prevalence of DS and the uniformly precocious appearance of the neuropathological changes of AD provide a unique opportunity to test theories about the pathogenesis of AD. Twenty-three cases of Down syndrome between the ages of 31 and 73 years were studied in the chapter neuropathologically. All but one had histological changes of Alzheimer disease in the neocortex.
Lab-on-a-chip companion diagnostics for personalized management of breast cancer

B25 Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in the United States. In 2008, an estimated 182,460 new cases will be diagnosed and 40,480 women will die of breast cancer. HER 2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase oncogene product over-expressed in 30% of breast cancers. HER 2 targeted therapy (Trastuzumab®) has been FDA approved for breast cancer. The extracellular form (ECD) of HER 2 is shed into serum and HER 2 testing has been approved by the FDA to identify eligible metastatic breast cancer patients for Trastuzumab® treatment and follow-up and monitoring of patients with metastatic breast cancer. The promise of personalized medicine in breast cancer is not only to be able to recruit patients for target specific therapy but also to monitor subsequent treatment effectiveness. In this work, we demonstrate the capability of our Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) multi-analyte biosensor platform in tailoring to the needs of the personalized medicine cancer diagnostics arena. For this proof-of-concept study, we have developed a first generation companion diagnostics chip for HER 2. We also demonstrate multiplexing ability of our platform with a proof-of-concept multiplex assay of HER 2 with CA 125 (prognostic marker for ovarian cancer). The LOC sensor array platform performs chemical and immunological reactions on and within the interior regions of micro-spheres positioned in the inverted pyramidal micro-chamber wells of a silicon microchip. Micro-fluidic structures deliver a series of small-volume reagents and washes to the chip and to each of the micro-spheres. Optical signals generated by the reactions on the microspheres are visualized by, a charge-coupled device (CCD) video chip along with the use of trans-wafer optics. Using the LOC system, we have developed ultra sensitive sandwich ELISA type immunological assays for these tumor biomarkers. These immunoassays can be performed with small sample volumes and short assay times, and markedly reduced reagent costs thereby enabling rapid, cost effective analysis, imperative for realizing companion diagnostics for delivering personalized therapeutic decisions. The assays developed have excellent analytical characteristics comparable to commercially available methods and multiplexing abilities rendering them amenable to the development of companion diagnostics in cancer therapy. Future work will entail clinical validation of the assay developed. The lab-on-a-chip platform lends itself to other analyte classes and hence promises a multiplex approach that cuts across several classes of analytes. Access to personalized medicine on such rapid and low cost LOC platforms can truly deliver the promise of fitting ‘the right drug to the right patient’ instead of a ‘one size fits all’ approach. This work will set a precedent for developing future companion diagnostics to serve along with targeted cancer therapeutics.
Supporting Social Change Agents Through the Classroom – The SE Lab Model – Unleashing a Rising Generation of Leading Social Entrepreneurs: An Emerging University Pedagogy

Social Entrepreneurship is a hot topic. Many students are passionate about making a positive difference in the world and wish to channel their passion and intellect into meaningful action. An increasing amount of universities wish to provide a classroom experiences to their students exposing them to the life world of social entrepreneurs. The university environment so far has not been able to provide students with a meaningful outlet and support environment to promote social change agents. In the following article, we wish to outline an incubator model which has been started at Stanford University, and now being implemented at Harvard, Princeton, and Fordham University. This model successfully provides students with a protected environment to think through their ideas and apply them in concrete projects. This model has transformational qualities, thus we wish to share it with the wider community, as it can be successfully applied in many other academic and practitioner oriented environments.
Adaptive Nonlinear Output-Feedback Control with an Observer-Based Identifier

We present a new design procedure for the nonlinear system transformable into the output-feedback canonical form. The key ingredient is an observer-based parameter identifier which substitutes the tuning function as a tool for avoiding overparametrization.
Assessing outcomes in prostate cancer clinical trials: a twenty-first century tower of Babel.

BACKGROUND. Because of the osseous distribution of prostate cancer metastases, progression is more readily identified than response in prostate cancer clinical trials. As a result, there is an increased focus on progression-free survival (PFS) as a phase 2 endpoint. PFS, however, is vulnerable to inter-study design variability. The authors sought to identify and quantify this variability and the resultant error in PFS across prostate cancer clinical trials. METHODS. The authors reviewed phase 2 clinical trials of cytotoxic agents in castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer over 5 years to evaluate the policies determining extent of disease and the definitions of disease progression. A simulation model was created to define the degree of error in estimating PFS in 3 hypothetical cohorts (median PFS of 12, 24, and 36 weeks) when the frequency of outcome assessments varies. RESULTS. Imaging policies for trial entry were heterogeneous, as were the type, timing, and indications for outcome assessments. In the simulation, error in the reported PFS varied according to the interval between assessments. The difference between the detected and the true PFS could vary as much as 6.4 weeks per cycle, strictly resulting from the variability of assessment schedules tested. CONCLUSIONS. Outcome assessment policies are highly variable in phase 2 studies of castration-resistant prostate cancer patients, despite published guidelines designed to standardize authentication of disease progression. The estimated error in PFS can exceed 6 weeks per cycle, exclusively because of variations in the assessment schedules. Comparisons of PFS times from different studies must be made with circumspection. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Regulation of serum amyloid A protein expression during the acute-phase response

The acute-phase (AP) serum amyloid A proteins (A-SAA) are multifunctional apolipoproteins which are involved in cholesterol transport and metabolism, and in modulating numerous immunological responses during inflammation and the AP response to infection, trauma or stress. During the AP response the hepatic biosynthesis of A-SAA is up-regulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, and circulating concentrations can increase by up to 1000-fold. Chronically elevated A-SAA concentrations are a prerequisite for the pathogenesis of secondary amyloidosis, a progressive and fatal disease characterized by the deposition in major organs of insoluble plaques composed principally of proteolytically cleaved A-SAA, and may also contribute to physiological processes that lead to atherosclerosis. There is therefore a requirement for both positive and negative control mechanisms that permit the rapid induction of A-SAA expression until it has fulfilled its host-protective function(s) and subsequently ensure that its expression can be rapidly returned to baseline. These mechanisms include modulation of promoter activity involving, for example, the inducer nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and its inhibitor IkappaB, up-regulatory transcription factors of the nuclear factor for interleukin-6 (NF-IL6) family and transcriptional repressors such as yin and yang 1 (YY1). Post-transcriptional modulation involving changes in mRNA stability and translation efficiency permit further up- and down-regulatory control of A-SAA protein synthesis to be achieved. In the later stages of the AP response, A-SAA expression is effectively down-regulated via the increased production of cytokine antagonists such as the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and of soluble cytokine receptors, resulting in less signal transduction driven by pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Too Important to Be Left to Chance—Serendipity and the Digital Library

SUMMARY This article discusses the meaning of “serendipity” in the digital library, with an emphasis on the role of librarians in facilitating conditions of serendipity for a scientific audience. It argues that the digital revolution has created a greater need among scientists for libraries and librarians. Provided a wealth of new resources instantly available online, scientists who miss crucial information by focusing on a small number of resources with which they are familiar need to interact with their librarians on an ever-increasing basis. The importance of providing not only access to digital resources, but also more and more guidance beyond “Google” and its analogs, is required so that scientists can make the connections needed in their information searches.
Effects of anaesthesia on regional coronary control mechanisms.

SUMMARY 1. The regional coronary circulation is under the control of local metabolic and myogenic factors, but is also influenced by autonomic systems, including sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. 2. General anaesthetic agents influence not only local control through changes in metabolic demand, but also neural control through suppression of autonomic influence. 3. Anaesthetic agents have differing effects on reflex control systems, which are dependent on coronary territory and ventricular rate. 4. Effects of anaesthesia should be taken into account when interpreting results in anaesthetized models of coronary control.
Cultural Differences in Newcomer Feedback Seeking: A Comparison of the United States and Hong Kong

Les travaux sur la recherche de feedback de la part des nouveaux arrivants peuvent s’appuyer sur des presupposes qui ne sont pas universellement valides, a savoir que les nouveaux arrivants font preuve d’auto-affirmation, qu’ils jugent leur patron accessible (faible distance hierarchique) et qu’ils doivent faire preuve d’initiative pour obtenir l’information dont il ont besoin, ce qui releve d’un processus de socialisation individuelle et informelle. Dans cette etude sur les nouveax arrivants, les Americains signalerent plus de demandes de feedback que les gens de Hong Kong. Cette divergence est a rapporter aux differences culturelles dans l’auto-affirmation et la distance hierarchique. Ces resultats suggerent que certains des presupposes implicites concernant la recherche de feedback de la part des nouveaux arrivants peuvent voir leur validite remise en cause en debors des Etats-Unis. En particulier, les nouveaux arrivants vivant dans des societes communautariste et a grande distance hierarchique sont moins susceptibles de faire appel a la retroaction centree sur le superieur pour reduire l’incertitude et gerer leur efficacite professionnelle. Research on newcomer feedback seeking may be based on assumptions that are not universally valid: that newcomers are self-assertive, that they perceive their boss as approachable (low power distance), and that they need to be proactive to obtain the information that they need (informal, individual socialisation process). In this study, individuals from the United States reported more newcomer feedback inquiry than individuals from Hong Kong. This difference was related to cultural differences in self-assertiveness and power distance. These results suggest that some of the implicit assumptions about newcomer feedback seeking may be less valid outside of the US. In particular, newcomers within low-individualism and high power distance societies may be less likely to rely on supervisor-focused feedback inquiry for reducing uncertainty and managing their performance.
Perceived Peer Norms, Casual Sex, and AIDS Risk Prevention1

To facilitate more effective AIDS education with heterosexual college students, an etiological study of AIDS risk behavior was conducted on a sample of 1,035 students at a large western university. In this study, “AIDS risk behavior” refers to participation in casual sex, failure to use condoms, and resistance to changing casual sex activity. Knowledge regarding AIDS had no significant correlation with AIDS-risk behavior. However, “perceived peer norms” (termed Peer Norm in this study) was a major predictor variable in AIDS risk behavior. Peer Norm was defined as perceived AIDS-risk attitudes and the behavior of one's peers. These findings contrast some what with those of Emmons et al.'s (1986) study of homosexual men. This difference may be due to the focus in the present study upon heterosexual university students as subjects. For this group, our results suggest that programs targeting the peer group in AIDS prevention education are especially needed. These might include peer-based AIDS education, emotion-oriented discussion sessions, encounters with “Peers-with-AIDS” models, and role-playing of assertive responses.
Characterization of the Taxol Binding Site on the Microtubule: 2-(m-AZIDOBENZOYL)TAXOL PHOTOLABELS A PEPTIDE (AMINO ACIDS 217-231) of β-TUBULIN (∗)

Photoaffinity labeling methods are being used to define the molecular contacts between taxol and its target protein, tubulin. Our laboratory has demonstrated previously that [3H]3′-(p-azidobenzamido)taxol photolabels the N-terminal 31 amino acids of β-tubulin (Rao, S., Krauss, N. E., Heerding, J. M., Swindell, C. S., Ringel, I., Orr, G. A., and Horwitz, S. B.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 3132-3134). The interaction of a second photoaffinity analogue of taxol, [3H]2-(m-azidobenzoyl)taxol, with tubulin has been investigated. This analogue specifically photolabels β-tubulin and the photolabeling is competed by both taxol and unlabeled 2-(m-azidobenzoyl)taxol indicating a common binding domain. To identify the site(s) of photoincorporation, [3H]2-(m-azidobenzoyl)taxol-photolabeled β-tubulin was subjected to sequential cyanogen bromide and tryptic digestions. Radiolabeled peptides were purified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, and amino acid sequencing studies identified a peptide containing amino acid residues 217-231 of β-tubulin as the major photolabeled domain.
Development and evaluation of an off-the-slide genotyping technique for identifying Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts directly from US EPA Method 1623 slides

Aims This study developed and systematically evaluated performance and limit of detection of an off-the-slide genotyping procedure for both Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts. Methods and Results Slide standards containing flow-sorted (oo)cysts were used to evaluate the off-the-slide genotyping procedure by microscopy and PCR. Results show approximately 20% of cysts and oocysts are lost during staining. Although transfer efficiency from the slide to the PCR tube could not be determined by microscopy, it was observed that the transfer process aided in the physical lysis of the (oo)cysts likely releasing DNA. PCR detection rates for a single event on a slide were 44% for Giardia and 27% for Cryptosporidium, and a minimum of five cysts and 20 oocysts are required to achieve a 90% PCR detection rate. A Poisson distribution analysis estimated the relative PCR target densities and limits of detection, it showed that 18 Cryptosporidium and five Giardia replicates are required for a 95% probability of detecting a single (oo)cyst on a slide. Conclusions This study successfully developed and evaluated recovery rates and limits of detection of an off-the-slide genotyping procedure for both Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cysts from the same slide. Significance and Impact of the Study This off-the-slide genotyping technique is a simple and low cost tool that expands the applications of US EPA Method 1623 results by identifying the genotypes and assemblages of the enumerated Cryptosporidium and Giardia. This additional information will be useful for microbial risk assessment models and watershed management decisions.
Pectoralis major myocutaneous island flap revisited: a sentinel vessel simplifying dissection.

Surgical extirpation of advanced cancers of the head and neck almost always requires extensive resections that invariably necessitate some sort of large flap for reconstruction. In recent years immediate one-stage reconstruction of large defects in the area of the tonsillar fossa and the pharynx have been facilitated by the development of myocutaneous flaps, especially the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. With this flap, immediate one-step reconstruction at the time of the initial operation is accomplished. Myocutaneous flaps, however, require more skill and concentration in their elevation than do skin flaps in order to preserve the axial feeder vessel running along the underside of the muscle and supplying the all-important perforating vessels to the overlying muscles and skin. We have noticed a constant perforating vessel, approximately 2-cm long, coming off the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial artery medial to the cephalic vein and 2 cm below the border of the clavicle. This pierces the substance of the overlying pectoralis major muscle and runs anteriorly into the subcutaneous fatty hypodermal layer. This vessel accurately localizes the position of the proximal portion of the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial artery before elevation of the pectoralis major muscle has been started. The imaginary line joining this vessel and the island skin flap allows simplicity in elevation of the muscle pedicle and obviates fear of transecting the arterial supply to the skin island during the dissection. We have found the vessel to be present in 26 consecutive cases over the last 12 months. We present our findings of a sentinel vessel localizing the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial artery as a guide in liberating the muscular paddle and axial artery in elevation of pectoralis major myocutaneous island flaps.
Etiology and prognostic implications of a large pericardial effusion in men

To assess the etiology and prognosis of a large pericardial effusion, we reviewed 25 consecutive patients who presented with a large pericardial effusion and underwent a drainage procedure. Large pericardial effusion was defined as: (1) an echo-free space greater than or equal to 10 mm anteriorly and posteriorly by M-mode echocardiography and (2) removal of greater than or equal to 350 ml of fluid at pericardial drainage. The etiologies of large pericardial effusion were: neoplastic (36%), idiopathic (32%), uremic (20%), postmyocardial infarction (8%), and acute rheumatic fever (4%). Of our patients, 44% presented with cardiac tamponade, while 25% of patients with idiopathic pericarditis had hemorrhage effusion and cardiac tamponade. At follow-up, 37 +/- 17 months after pericardial drainage, 68% had died from complications of their underlying disease. There were no deaths attributed to pericardial disease. While 88% of patients with idiopathic large pericardial effusion were alive at follow-up, none of the neoplastic large pericardial effusion patients survived longer than 5 months after initial pericardial drainage (p less than 0.001). Additionally, the survival of patients with uremic large pericardial effusion was better than patients with neoplastic large pericardial effusion (p less than 0.05). We conclude: (1) neoplastic, idiopathic, and uremic pericarditis are the most common causes of large pericardial effusion in men, (2) idiopathic pericarditis can be hemorrhagic and cause cardiac tamponade, and (3) the prognosis of large pericardial effusion is related to patients' underlying disease.
Interpretation of Some Wireline Logs in Geothermal Fields of the Imperial Valley, California

This study reviews the wireline log responses of some geothermal fields in the Imperial Valley, California. The fields under study include the Heber, the East Mesa, the Brawley and the Westmoreland. The selected well logs obtained under special arrangements with the operators were chosen to maintain the anonymity of specific well locations but are only representative of each area. Analysis of the well logs indicate that on an individual field basis, the well logs are excellent for correlation purposes. The presence of extremely saline fluids in some fields precludes the monitoring of Q /SUB V/ profile for detection of hydrothermally altered zones. The producing sections in all the fields are characterized by low porosity and high resistivity.
Real-time imaging of ligand-induced IKK activation in intact cells and in living mice.

The transcription factor NF-κB is a key regulator of cellular activation, proliferation and apoptosis. Defects in the NF-κB pathway contribute to a broad array of malignant, neurodegenerative and chronic inflammatory diseases. IKK-dependent IκBα degradation by the 26S proteasome is a critical NF-κB regulatory control point, which is emerging as an important target for drug development. To directly monitor regulation of IKK activation in intact organisms, we engineered an IκBα–firefly luciferase (IκBα-FLuc) fusion reporter. In cultured cells and living animals, the reporter provided a continuous, noninvasive readout of the kinetics of ligand-induced IKK activation and the pharmacodynamics of selective inhibitors of both IKK and the 26S proteasome. This IκBα-FLuc reporter now permits continuous readout of IKK activation in vivo, facilitates development and validation of target-specific therapeutics, and complements conventional NF-κB transcriptional reporters for more complete temporal and regional investigations of the NF-κB signaling pathway in health and disease.
Air pollutants, bronchial hyperreactivity, and exercise

The interaction of air pollutants and their effect on bronchial hyperreactivity show that sulfur dioxide and ozone both increase bronchial hyperreactivity. Sulfur dioxide concentrates as low as 0.5 ppm and ozone concentrations as low as 0.2 ppm have demonstrated this effect. Exercise with either sulfur dioxide or ozone exposure can significantly increase bronchial hyperreactivity in susceptible individuals. Other factors including ambient air temperature, time of day, wind velocity and direction, geography, climate, tobacco smoke exposure, and other indoor air pollutants may enhance the impact of air pollutants, causing bronchial hyperreactivity.
Structure Determination of Tilt Boundaries in Gold by High Resolution Electron Microscopy

A number of tilt grain boundaries prepared from evaporated gold thin films have been investigated by high resolution transmission microscopy. When the grain boundary is parallel to the electron beam and the beam is parallel to a low index rotation axis such as [110] or [001]it is possible to identify atomic positions at the cores of these boundaries as demonstrated here by a Σ = 3 70.5°/[110], (112) growth twin. In many cases it is not possible to make a full atomistic structure determination because the specimen does not have translational periodicity in the beam direction. This may be because the boundary plane is not parallel to the beam or the specimen contains dislocations which have a component of Burgers vector parallel to the beam. Examples are given of various low angle boundary structures in goldwhere there are complications because of the three dimensional nature of their structure.
Can’t Code What the Community Can’t See A Case of the Erasure of Heteronormative Harassment

This essay examines the limits of allegedly atheoretical approaches to qualitative research that rely on the coding of qualitative data. The authors focus specifically on the challenge of analyzing socially produced silences. The use of coding techniques for analyzing data is found to be inadequate for documenting the social erasure of a middle school student who does not conform to local gender norms. The article argues that the interpretation of socially produced silences requires the use of theories that explain the source and effects of these silences. This utility is illustrated through the application of feminist and queer poststructuralist theory to the analysis of the experience of the aforementioned student.
Magnetoplumbite related barium aluminates

Abstract Yet new complexities are indicated in the structural details of the barium “hexa”-aluminates, in a burgeoning family of magnetoplumbites with many different types of possible defect structures.
McThresh: Modeling Maximum Coverage with Threshold Constraints

Working within the location covering framework, the authors develop a mathematical programming approach for siting facilities which maximizes the extent of spatial market coverage, while maintaining threshold-demand levels for individual facility sites. The model, known as McTHRESH, can be formulated so that the number of facilities is either determined endogenously or stipulated exogenously. The working of the model is demonstrated with numerical examples.
Stochastic algorithms for the analysis of numerical flame simulations

Recent progress in simulation methodologies and high-performance parallel computers have made it is possible to perform detailed simulations of multidimensional reacting flow phenomena using comprehensive kinetics mechanisms. As simulations become larger and more complex, it becomes increasingly difficult to extract useful information from the numerical solution, particularly regarding the interactions of the chemical reaction and diffusion processes. In this paper we present a new diagnostic tool for analysis of numerical simulations of reacting flow. Our approach is based on recasting an Eulerian flow solution in a Lagrangian frame. Unlike a conventional Lagrangian viewpoint that follows the evolution of a volume of the fluid, we instead follow specific chemical elements, e.g. carbon, nitrogen, etc., as they move through the system. From this perspective an ''atom'' is part of some molecule of a species that is transported through the domain by advection and diffusion. Reactions cause the atom to shift from one chemical host species to another and the subsequent transport of the atom is given by the movement of the new species. We represent these processes using a stochastic particle formulation that treats advection deterministically and models diffusion and chemistry as stochastic processes. In this paper, we discuss the numerical issues in detail and demonstrate that an ensemble of stochastic trajectories can accurately capture key features of the continuum solution. The capabilities of this diagnostic are then demonstrated by applications to study the modulation of carbon chemistry during a vortex-flame interaction, and the role of cyano chemistry in NO"x production for a steady diffusion flame.
Compass and Dead Reckoning: The Dynamic Implications of ISCT

The dynamic relationship between hypernorms and microsocial contracts can explain novel, evolutionary changes in economic life. The conceptual machinery of Integrative Social Contracts Theory (ISCT) can be expanded in order to understand dynamic moments in the evolution in economic life such as the economic crisis of 2008–2009. When a transition in the ethical interpretation of economic events occurs over time, it can be understood as a transition from the opaqueness of hypernorms to the relative clarity of microsocial contracts. This phenomenon deserves more study than it has received, and entails, at a minimum, the application of an enhanced, more dynamic interpretation of ISCT.
Complex Terrain Mapping with Multi-camera Visual Odometry and Realtime Drift Correction

We present a low-cost navigation system that integrates 3D data in realtime, allowing exploration and mapping of complex terrain and GPS-denied regions with an inexpensive sensor package. Precise integration of 3D data from sensors on a moving platform requires accurate bearing and position estimates, delivered at high frequency. This bar has only been met using expensive, high-end IMUs and/or differential GPS systems - by contrast, our sensor package includes only a low-cost MEMS IMU. We use multi-camera visual odometry to obtain locally accurate position and orientation for integration of sequential scans from a 3D sensor. These intermediate point clouds accumulate in a custom database which features spatial caching and binary serialization for efficient querying and logarithmic retrieval times. Realtime alignment of overlapping 3D point clouds is used to correct drift. The system was tested using a mobile robot and used to map complex indoor and outdoor environments.
Evidence of colonial nesting and ‘site fidelity’ among ornithischian dinosaurs

Recent discoveries in the late Cretaceous (Campanian) Two Medicine Formation of western Montana indicate that some dinosaur species, like some modern species of birds and crocodiles, nested in colonies. I report here evidence that members of one species returned to the same nesting area for many years. There are also indications that, after hatching, some species remained in their respective nests whereas others left the nest but remained in, or at least returned occasionally to, the nesting site. The area in which these discoveries were made is the Willow Creek Anticline of Teton County, where in 1978 a nest of fifteen, 1-m long hadrosaurs provided the first evidence of extended parental care among dinosaurs1.
In vivo delivery of BCNU from a MEMS device to a tumor model

A drug delivery micrcoelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device was used to locally deliver a chemotherapeutic agent (BCNU) to an experimental tumor in rats. This MEMS device consists of an array of reservoirs etched into the silicon substrate. The drug release is achieved by the electrochemical dissolution of the gold membranes covering the reservoirs. A new Pyrex package was developed to improve the BCNU release kinetics and enhance device capacity. Co-formulation of BCNU with polyethylene glycol (PEG) led to complete and rapid release of drug in vivo. BCNU delivered from the MEMS device showed dose-dependent inhibiting effect on the tumor growth in the BCNU dosage range of 0.67 approximately 2 mg. BCNU delivered from the activated devices was as effective as equipotent subcutaneous injections of BCNU in inhibiting tumor growth. Further optimization using this MEMS device to deliver BCNU in combination with other therapeutic agents against the tumor challenge is possible because of the unique capability of the device to precisely control the temporal release profiles of multiple substances.
IV Drug Use and Aids: Public Policy and Dirty Needles

Users of intravenous heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines risk the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through the sharing of contaminated injection equipment. Although most users are aware of this risk, the scarcity of sterile needles and syringes, combined with various social and cultural factors, fosters dangerous sharing practices. This paper examines the legal and political contexts of proposals to ease access to sterile needles and injection equipment. The author seeks an explanation for the continued reluctance to institute such programs in the United States, while similar programs have been instituted in other countries where intravenous drug use has also contributed to the spread of HIV infection and AIDS.
Morphological investigations of disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)-b-naphthalene dianhydride-based polyimide multiblock copolymers as potential high temperature proton exchange membranes

Abstract A major goal of current proton exchange membrane fuel cell research involves developing high temperature membranes that can operate at ∼120 °C and low humidities. Multiblock copolymers synthesized from 100% disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (BPSH100) and naphthalene polyimide (PI) oligomers may be an alternative. The high temperature behavior of BPSH100–PI multiblock copolymers was evaluated in terms of morphology and water retention and compared to that of BPSH-based random copolymers, Nafion 112, and new recast Nafion (NRE211). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) performed at elevated temperatures with a hot stage demonstrated that at block lengths of ∼15 kg/mol the multiblock copolymers displayed no morphological changes up to 120 °C or even higher. Water desorption was observed to decrease with increasing block length. The copolymers exhibited little to no water loss during a 200 °C isotherm in contrast to random BPSH copolymers and Nafion. A BPSH100–PI multiblock copolymer with large block length appears to have morphological stability and retain water (likely strongly bound) at temperatures exceeding 120 °C, suggesting its candidacy as a high temperature PEM.
Bionanoscience: Nano meets bio at the interface.

A method that characterizes the adsorption of a set of small molecules on different nanoparticles may offer a way to predict how proteins interact with them.
Peach cultivation and use among the Canyon de Chelly Navajo

The Navajo of Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, learned peach cultivation from the Hopi in the eighteenth century. Navajos plant volunteer seedings and seeds. Slip planting, grafting, budding, pruning living branches, and fruit thinning, which had no precedents in Navajo agriculture, were rejected. Navajos protect their orchards against mammalian pests, and now practice spring spraying. Mapping of present orchards showed them to be located on alluvial terraces receiving runoff from cliffs and small tributary drainages; irrigation is occasionally practiced. Peaches are eaten fresh, boiled, or dried and stewed, and are used as a ceremonial purgative. Kernels are used in polishing stone griddles and in witchcraft.
Effects of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine on behavior and raphe unit acitivity in freely moving cats

Abstract 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltruptamine (5-MeODMT) produced a dose-dependent decrease in the discharge rate of serotonin-containing neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of freely moving cats. This ranged from a 15% decrease at 10μg/kg, i.m., to a virtual complete depression of activity at 250 μg/kg/ 5-MeODMT's effects of raphe units occurred with a very short latency (3–5 min) and its duration of acion was dose-dependent and limited to an hour or less. The degree of depression of raphe unit activity was directly related to the frequency of occurrence of a number of hallucinogen-specific cat behaviors such as limb flick and abortive groom. There was also a close temporal correlation between the depression of raphe unit activity and the occurrence of these behaviors. These data indicate that the effects of 5-MeODMT may be primarily dependent on its actions upon brain serotonin neurons.
Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of EGCG analogues, a recently identified Hsp90 inhibitor.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the principal polyphenol isolated from green tea, was recently shown to inhibit Hsp90; however, structure–activity relationships for this natural product have not yet been produced. Herein, we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of EGCG analogues to establish structure–activity relationships between EGCG and Hsp90. All four rings as well as the linker connecting the C- and the D-rings were systematically investigated, which led to the discovery of compounds that inhibit Hs90 and display improvement in efficacy over EGCG. Antiproliferative activity of all the analogues was determined against MCF-7 and SKBr3 cell lines and Hsp90 inhibitory activity of the four most potent analogues was further evaluated by Western blot analyses and degradation of Hsp90-dependent client proteins. The prenyl-substituted aryl ester of 3,5-dihydroxychroman-3-ol ring system was identified as a novel scaffold that exhibits Hsp90 inhibitory activity.
Monitoring and testing dairy herds for metabolic disease

Clinical impressions of metabolic disease problems in dairy herds can be corroborated with herd-based metabolic testing. Ruminal pH should be evaluated in herds showing clinical signs associated with SARA (lame cows, thin cows, high herd removals or death loss across all stages of lactation, or milk fat depression). Testing a herd for the prevalence of SCK via blood BHB sampling in early lactation is useful in almost any dairy herd, and particularly if the herd is experiencing a high incidence of displaced abomasum or high removal rates of early lactation cows. If cows are experiencing SCK within the first 3 weeks of lactation, then consider NEFA testing of the prefresh cows to corroborate prefresh negative energy balance. Finally, monitoring cows on the day of calving for parturient hypocalcemia can provide early detection of diet-induced problems in calcium homeostasis. If hypocalcemia problems are present despite supplementing anionic salts before calving, then it may be helpful to evaluate mean urinary pH of a group of the prefresh cows. Quantitative testing strategies based on statistical analyses can be used to establish minimum sample sizes and interpretation guidelines for all of these tests.
Electrodeposited amorphous manganese oxide nanowire arrays for high energy and power density electrodes

Arrays of manganese oxide nanowires were electrodeposited into anodized alumina membranes. These nanowire arrays were investigated in terms of their structural and electrochemical properties as cathodes for high energy and high power density Li ion batteries. The nanowire arrays were assembled with a Li counter electrode and non-aqueous electrolyte to form secondary batteries. These cells were capable of multiple charge/discharge cycles, with a cathode specific capacity of approximately 300 mA h/g. Though the cathodes were fabricated without any binder or conductive additives, the electrodes could be discharged at current densities up to 0.1 mA/cm 2 before the onset of any significant polarization.