cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Democratizing dictators? Non-democratic regime conditions and the allocation of US democracy assistance, 1975–2010:

As the USA initiated strategies of democracy promotion to support the spread of democracy, a key element involved democracy assistance. However, some states receive substantial commitments of US de...
Rapid Recovery of Acute Giant Cell Myocarditis with Hypereosinophilia with Combined Immunosuppression and Benralizumab

Introduction Myocarditis is often an elusive diagnosis as the clinical presentation can be nonspecific and definitive diagnosis can be challenging due to the low sensitivity of endomyocardial biopsy. Additionally, treatment of myocarditis is controversial with no guidelines and limited data available regarding efficacy. Nevertheless, recent studies have demonstrated a treatment benefit with immunosuppression, particularly in giant cell myocarditis (GCM). This report highlights a unique case of histologically confirmed GCM in which the patient also had a significant peripheral hypereosinophilia, and examines the response of combined immunosuppression with rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (RATG), corticosteroids, cyclosporine, and benralizumab–an interleukin-5 receptor antagonist–that resulted in rapid recovery. Case Report A 25 year old woman with a history of asthma for 3 years and a recent diagnosis of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (40%) presented with acute chest pain and worsening left ventricular (LV) dysfunction with a reduction of her left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to 25-30% within 2 weeks. Laboratory studies revealed a 40% peripheral eosinophilia. Further workup was negative for infection, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, or malignancy. A cardiac MRI showed late-gadolinium enhancement and an endomyocardial biopsy confirmed significant eosinophilic tissue infiltration, myocyte necrosis, and the presence of giant cells. She was treated with a combined immunosuppression regimen of RATG induction, corticosteroids, cyclosporine, and benralizumab. Despite this regimen, she had a recurrence of peripheral eosinophilia during the course of her hospitalization. Nevertheless, she had significant clinical improvement in symptomatology, functional status, and hemodynamics. Her peripheral eosinophilia resolved over the following days with increased corticosteroids and thereafter remained negligible. A repeat echocardiogram 3 weeks after initial initiation of immunosuppression demonstrated significant improvement in her LVEF to 53%, improvement of global strain, and reduction of left atrial dilatation. Discussion Emerging data suggests that treatment with immunosuppression can improve outcomes in patients with GCM. Indeed, this patient did have a marked improvement in LV function within 3 weeks of initiating treatment. Additionally, the use of benralizumab to treat her peripheral eosinophilia demonstrates potential implications for use in other hypereosinophilic syndromes. However, given that her serum eosinophila recurred despite being on a multi-drug immunosuppression regimen, including benralizumab, identifies potential focus areas of future research including further examination of the exact mechanism of action, the relevance of expanded use in other hypereosinophilic syndromes, and delineation of appropriate end points for measuring response.
Epidemiology of elder abuse and neglect

Abstract Elder abuse is not a new phenomenon, but its study is relatively recent. First mentioned in the British press as “granny battering,” investigation in elder mistreatment was patterned on the Child Protective Services model and taken from a “private family matter” to the prosecution of crimes against the elderly. Slow in coming, laws to protect elders are being enacted, and investigations based on forensic and medical evidence are shaping how elder abuse intervention occurs across societies. While elders have the right to live as they want, they also have the right to live free of physical, mental, psychological, financial, and sexual abuse. Although definitions and descriptions vary, studies of the maltreatment of the elderly are being published at greater rates, and in multiple countries.
From Cradle to Grave: A Terror Management Theory Analysis of Parenthood

According to terror management theory, human beings share a basic biological predisposition toward self-preservation with all other forms of life. Humans are, however, unique in their capacity for abstract symbolic thought and self-consciousness, including the awareness of the inevitability of death. Death awareness gives rise to potentially debilitating existential terror that is “managed” by embracing humanly constructed cultural worldviews, striving for a sense of personal significance (i.e. self-esteem), and forging and maintaining close relationships with significant others. Cultural worldviews, self-esteem, and close relationships serve to buffer anxiety and to enhance the prospect of acquiring literal or symbolic immortality. From an existential perspective, becoming a parent is a potentially dynamic transition that confers numerous social and psychological benefits, as well as presenting some daunting challenges. Accordingly, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of terror management theory and research, and to present an empirically corroborated account of how parenthood assuages and arouses existential anxieties.
Improving the Pediatric Procedural Experience: An Analysis of Pain, Anxiety, and Satisfaction.

Objective:The purpose of this investigation was to compare self-reported and perceived pain and anxiety among patients, caregivers, and providers before, during, and after common emergency departme...
Relapsing–remitting clinical course expands the phenotype of Aicardi–Goutières syndrome

Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS) is a rare and likely underdiagnosed genetic leukoencephalopathy, typically presenting in infancy with encephalopathy and characteristic neuroimaging features, with residual static neurological deficits. We describe a patient who, following an initial presentation at the age of 12 months in keeping with AGS, exhibited a highly atypical relapsing course of neurological symptoms in adulthood with essentially normal neuroimaging. Whole-exome sequencing confirmed a pathogenic RNASEH2B gene variant consistent with AGS. This case highlights the expanding phenotypes associated with AGS and the potential role of whole-exome sequencing in facilitating an increase in the rate of diagnosis.
What’s Past Is Prologue? The Effect of Gender, Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Prior Nonprofit Sector Experiences on Experiential Philanthropy Course Outcomes

Experiential philanthropy courses have emerged as a promising high-impact practice in higher education. However, little research has examined the effect of prior nonprofit experiences on the outcomes of students enrolled in these courses, particularly in the context of gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This study examines whether prior participation in and exposure to nonprofit sector activities is related to experiential philanthropy course outcomes for students, and it specifically highlights differences across gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Findings suggest that female, White, and high-socioeconomic-status students have more prior exposure to the nonprofit sector than do their male, non-White, and lower-socioeconomic-status peers. This variation in prior exposure to the nonprofit sector influences students’ likelihood to engage in future nonprofit activities after taking an experiential philanthropy course. Subscribe to JNEL
Co-channel Interference Assessment for Line-of-Sight and Nearly Line-of-Sight Millimeter-Waves Cellular LMDS Architecture

Behavior of co-channel interference in fixed wireless cellular systems, such as millimeter-waves Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS), is different compared to what has been established for mobile microwave systems. This is due to utilization of a high-gain antenna for the subscriber. In this paper, first the analysis of signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) is presented for line-of-sight and nearly line-of-sight LMDS architecture. In this analysis, the effects of precipitation and foliage attenuation and depolarization have been considered. These two parameters have negligible effect on the microwave mobile systems but in millimeter-wave range are among the most important factors in the link budget. To mitigate the fading due to shadowing by buildings and trees, a highly overlapped architecture and macro-diversity are proposed. After analysis of downlink SIR in previously proposed cellular systems, a cellular architecture is proposed based on polarization interleaving and frequency segmentation which has a much higher SIR yield. The statistical assessment of SIR is accomplished by assuming lognormal distribution for the received signals.
Neutrophil expressed CD47 regulates CD11b/CD18-dependent neutrophil transepithelial migration in the intestine in vivo

Dysregulated neutrophil (PMN) transmigration across epithelial surfaces (TEpM) significantly contributes to chronic inflammatory diseases, yet mechanisms defining this process remain poorly understood. In the intestine, uncontrolled PMN TEpM is a hallmark of disease flares in ulcerative colitis. Previous in vitro studies directed at identifying molecular determinants that mediate TEpM have shown that plasma membrane proteins including CD47 and CD11b/CD18 play key roles in regulating PMN TEpM across monolayers of intestinal epithelial cells. Here, we show that CD47 modulates PMN TEpM in vivo using an ileal loop assay. Importantly, using novel tissue-specific CD47 knockout mice and in vitro approaches, we report that PMN-expressed, but not epithelial-expressed CD47 plays a major role in regulating PMN TEpM. We show that CD47 associates with CD11b/CD18 in the plasma membrane of PMN, and that loss of CD47 results in impaired CD11b/CD18 activation. In addition, in vitro and in vivo studies using function blocking antibodies support a role of CD47 in regulating CD11b-dependent PMN TEpM and chemotaxis. Taken together, these findings provide new insights for developing approaches to target dysregulated PMN infiltration in the intestine. Moreover, tissue-specific CD47 knockout mice constitute an important new tool to study contributions of cells expressing CD47 to inflammation in vivo.
Design and optimization of noise barrier based on mechanical analysis of ANSYS

In order to ensure the structural strength of the noise barrier and optimize its design, in this paper, the Finite Element Analysis software ANSYS is used to model the noise barrier, and the mechanical properties are analyzed. The effects of different numbers of reinforcing ribs on the deformation and stress of the noise barrier under natural wind are studied. From the perspective of wind load, load bearing and bolt strength, the number of reinforcing ribs of the noise barrier is optimized. The results show that the structural strength of our self-developed noise barrier can meet the requirements. This design method provides guarantee for the future engineering design and application.
Combination Drug Therapy

Caring for the elderly nursing home patient has never been more clinically complex or administratively more troublesome. Patients carry with them a greater burden of disease with increasing frailty and vulnerability. More drugs are being used for more problems. Combination drug therapy (and by this we mean 2 or more drugs in the same pill or capsule) was not common or recommended even just a few years ago. Acceptable combinations for a long time were limited and they were represented by drugs such as hydrochlorothiazide/triamterene (Dyazide; GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC) and carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet; Merck & Co, Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ). Other fixed combinations were generally unavailable because of the significant side effect profiles of individual agents and a relatively poor understanding of drug-drug interactions. A lot has changed in a very short period of time. In an effort to extend patent protection, drug manufacturers are offering a wider array of products in combination dosage forms. Now we have available to us amlodipine/atorvastatin (Caduet; Pfizer US Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY) and ezetimibe/simvastatin (Vytorin; Merck & Co, Inc, and Schering Plough, Kenilworth, NJ) to really push the envelope on the management of cardiovascular disease, affecting blood pressure/angina and lipids at the same time. As we have come to understand the physiologic changes that come with aging (more fat, less muscle mass, and decreased albumin), today’s drugs are designed to be excreted unchanged and with mixed metabolic pathways to avoid total dependence on 1 route of elimination. Ideal pharmacokinetic characteristics of drugs in the elderly are water soluble for ease in absorption, short to intermediate half-life for once daily administration, moderate protein binding, and combined elimination by hepatic and renal routes with an emphasis on glucuronidation and sulfation, rather than oxidative metabolism. Where possible, drug manufacturers are bringing new chemical entities to market that maximize safety and efficacy. Combination drug therapy now offers physicians the opportunity to better comply with OBRA ‘87 and the 9-drug
Atomic layer deposited boron nitride nanoscale films act as high temperature hydrogen barriers

Abstract Hydrogen environmental barrier coatings reduce hydrogen diffusion and concomitant hydrogen embrittlement of materials such as those used in nuclear and fuel cell applications where hydrogen is used as a fuel source. In this work, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to coat substrates with boron nitride (BN) films of approximately 6, 8, and 15 nm thicknesses. Differential thermal analysis of the coated samples in hydrogen gas showed resistance to reaction with hydrogen to at least 1713 K. Diffusion of atomic hydrogen into the hexagonal BN (0 0 1) surface and between sheets as well as material stability were computationally studied using density functional theory. A high activation energy of 3.25 eV was calculated for atomic hydrogen diffusion into the (0 0 1) hexagonal BN surface through a sheet. However, lower activation energies of 1.35 eV, 1.11 eV, and 0.12 eV were computed for unique hydrogen diffusion pathways between sheets, suggesting that sheet orientation parallel to the substrate surface is vital for attaining desirable barrier film properties. A predicted positive nitrogen vacancy formation energy of 4.3 eV at 2773 K suggests that hexagonal BN is stable at nuclear thermal propulsion operating temperatures, and stability was confirmed experimentally up to 1773 K.
Estimating the effect of protected bike lanes on bike-share ridership in Boston: A case study on Commonwealth Avenue

Abstract While many studies have studied the connection between cyclist ridership and the built environment, few findings provide relevant quantitative guidance to decision-makers. This study examines the effect of a single intervention (installation of a protected bike lane) in Boston, Massachusetts, on the nearby ridership of 'BlueBikes', a local bicycle sharing system (bikeshare). Bikeshare activity along the new protected bike lane almost tripled in the year following installation; however, ridership on routes unaffected by the new bike lane also saw dramatic increases in ridership. Using a differences-in-differences comparison, which assumes the bike lane had no influence on adjacent routes, suggests that the causal impact of the new bike lane increased bikeshare ridership +80% on affected routes. These quantitative estimates represent credible upper and lower bounds on the effect of replacing a conventional bike lane with a protected bike lane. Additional analysis also suggests that the influence of the bike lane is strongest when trip origins and destinations are a minimal distance (under 1.6 km) away from the bike lane, which may be useful information in planning bicycle networks.
Accounting for Product Impact in the Oil and Gas Industry

We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the oil and gas industry. We design a monetization methodology that allows us to calculate monetary product impact estimates of natural gas provision to emerging markets, energy provided, and emissions created. Our results indicate differences in the impact that competitors have through their products. These differences demonstrate how impact reflects corporate strategy and informs decision-making on industry-specific areas.
AC network-constrained unit commitment via conic relaxation and convex programming

Abstract To address the AC network-constrained unit commitment problem, we propose an effective three-step solution approach. We first solve a DC (mixed-integer linear) approximation of the original problem to identify an initial solution and the set of transmission lines likely to be congested. Secondly, with the linear solution as a starting point, we solve a mixed-integer second-order conic relaxation of the original problem using an active set strategy regarding transmission constraints. Finally, using the solution of the relaxed problem as a starting point, we solve a set of increasingly accurate continuous convex optimization problems to ensure full AC feasibility. We show the effectiveness of the proposed approach using the IEEE 24-bus test system and an Illinois 200-bus system with 49 generators and 245 lines.
A Decellularized Meniscus Matrix Fibrous System for Meniscus Repair

The meniscus plays a critical role in knee mechanical function but is commonly injured given its central load bearing role. In the adult, meniscus repair is limited, given the low number of endogenous cells, the density of the matrix, and the limited vascularity. Menisci are fibrocartilaginous tissues composed of a micro-/nano- fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) and a mixture of chondrocyte-like and fibroblast-like cells. Here, we developed a fibrous scaffold system that consists of bioactive components (decellularized meniscus ECM (dME) within a poly(e-caprolactone) material) fashioned into a biomimetic morphology (via electrospinning) to support and enhance meniscus cell function and matrix production. This work supports that the incorporation of dME into synthetic nanofibers increased hydrophilicity of the scaffold, leading to enhanced meniscus cell spreading, proliferation, and fibrochondrogenic gene expression. This work identifies a new biomimetic scaffold for therapeutic strategies to substitute or replace injured meniscus tissue.
Inspiring Dialogue: Talking to Learn in the English Classroom

Inspiring Dialogue helps new English teachers make dialogic teaching practices a central part of their development as teachers, while also supporting veteran teachers who would like new ideas for inspiring talk in their classrooms. Chapter by chapter, the book follows novice teachers as they build a repertoire of practices for planning for, carrying out, and assessing their efforts at dialogic teaching across the secondary English curriculum. The text also includes a section to support dialogic teacher learning communities through video study and discourse analysis. Providing a thorough discussion of the benefits of dialogic curriculum in meeting the objectives of the Common Core State Standards, this book with its companion website is an ideal resource for teacher development. Book Features: Dialogic tools for step-by-step planning within a lesson, over the course of a unit, or during an entire academic year. A user-friendly, interactive layout designed for new teachers who are pressed for time. Classroom examples addressing the challenges English teachers may face in stimulating rich learning talk in an era of standardization. A companion website with additional examples, activities, and course material.
Multi-locus Linkage Disequilibrium and Haplotype-Based Tests of Association

The hope behind association mapping is to use linkage disequilibrium (LD) as an indicator of proximity of a marker to a susceptibility locus. This follows from the expectation that marker-phenotype association is proportional to linkage disequilibrium, which is inversely related to recombination. If there are more than two alleles at a locus affecting risk, the association statistic is instead a weighted sum of linkage disequilibria and genotypic susceptibilities. There is no longer a simple relationship, even in expectation, with recombination. These results extend to marker haplotypes. In addition to the pairwise association terms of the single marker tests, marker haplotype associations depend on the weighted sum of multi-locus disequilibria and genotypic susceptibilities. Several tests of haplotype association are presented here, along with a comparison of these tests within different LD contexts.
New linearly tapered window and its application to FIR filter design

A new class of linearly tapered window, obtained by the convolution of a moving average filter and a running sum filter of unequal lengths, is introduced. The sidelobe rejection of the new window is between that of the rectangular and the Hann windows, and can be varied as a function of the lengths of the two convolving filters. We study the properties of the new window and provide empirical formulas for the sidelobe rejection and the mainlobe width. We propose rules for finite impulse response (FIR) filter design using the new window and show that a significant reduction in the filter length can be obtained as compared to that of the filter designed using the Hann window.
Quantitation of GD2 synthase mRNA by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction: utility in bone marrow purging of neuroblastoma by anti-GD2 antibody 3F8.

BACKGROUND Antigen ganglioside GD2 is expressed abundantly on neuroblastoma (NB) cells. Anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 3F8 kills NB cells by complement-dependent cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Its utility in bone marrow (BM) purging is evaluated by a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to quantify the mRNA of GD2 synthase, the key enzyme in GD2 synthesis. METHODS From 1990 to 1993, 10 patients with relapsed/refractory Stage 4 NB participated in a pilot study. In these patients, MoAb 3F8 was used to purge tumor cells from harvested BM that had 5% or less tumor content by immunofluorescence (IF). Subsequently, 31 Stage 4 NB patients who underwent treatment on the N7 protocol (1994–1999) had their BM, which was in remission, purged by 3F8 before 131I-3F8 myeloablative radioimmunotherapy. GD2-positive tumor cells before and after purging were quantified by real-time quantitative RT-PCR of GD2 synthase. RESULTS GD2 positivity by IF was found before purging in six of eight patients in the pilot study. Five of six patients became negative postpurging. Of 31 patients on the N7 protocol, the more sensitive real-time quantitative RT-PCR detected GD2 synthase mRNA in the BM samples of 7 patients even though the prepurge BM samples were negative by histology and IF. Six of the seven BM samples became negative after 3F8 purging. Marker positivity before purging was statistically significant in predicting overall survival (P = 0.04), but not progression-free survival (P = 0.1). In vitro hematopoietic stem cell recovery and the median time to engraftment were acceptable. CONCLUSION Tumor cell depletion quantified by real-time RT-PCR demonstrated efficacy of MoAb 3F8 in BM purging. Cancer 2002;94:3042–8. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10519
Local Level Impact of External Peace Interventions in Somalia

Twenty years of external mediation and intermittent peace operations in Somalia have failed to end the Somali crisis and have in some ways made things worse. Two schools of thought – one emphasizing missed opportunities on the part of outside actors, the other stressing the intractability of the Somali crisis – possess powerful evidence and arguments to make their case. This paper reviews the history of peace interventions in Somalia since 1988 with the aim of assessing which interpretations have more explanatory power.
A study of ITO/CdS/CuInGaSe/sub 2/ thin film solar cells

Solar cells were fabricated on evaporated CuInGaSe/sub 2/ thin films by depositing thin CdS layers from aqueous solutions and subsequently depositing indium tin oxide (ITO) by DC sputtering. The CdS thickness was varied, and its effect on device quality was studied. The blue response of the cells showed improvement when a thin CdS layer was used, but the cell performance was affected by shunt leakage. Using a thick, solution-grown CdS layer, devices with 8.3% efficiency were fabricated. >
Using DHP adaptive critic methods to tune a fuzzy automobile steering controller

The approximate dynamic programming method known as dual heuristic programming (DHP) is applied to the design of a fuzzy controller for a 4-wheel, 2-axle vehicle. This controller is designed to guide an autonomous automobile on a curved road while maintaining lateral acceleration at comfortable levels.
Bis(tricyclohexylphosphine)dichloronickel

[19999-87-2] C36H66Cl2NiP2 (MW 690.46) InChI = 1S/2C18H33P.2ClH.Ni/c2*1-4-10-16(11-5-1)19(17-12-6-2-7-13-17)18-14-8-3-9-15-18;;;/h2*16-18H,1-15H2;2*1H;/q;;;;+2/p-2 InChIKey = YOCBOYPGZVFUCQ-UHFFFAOYSA-L (catalyst for the cross-coupling of phenol-derived electrophiles, including sulfonates, ethers, esters, carbamates, and sulfamates) Physical Data: mp 227–231 °C decomposition.1, 2 Solubility: moderately soluble in benzene, chlorobenzene, nitrobenzene, and toluene; insoluble in water, alcohols, chloroform, acetone, and diethyl ether. Form Supplied in: reddish-purple powder. Analysis of Reagent Purity: NMR (500 MHz, C6D6) δ 1.0–2.4 (m); NMR (125 MHz, CDCl3) δ 27.0, 28.2, 30.2, 32.1 (d, J = 4.4 Hz). Purification: may be washed with cold ethanol and diethyl ether, and then dried under vacuum. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: NiCl2(PCy3)2 is air stable in solid form. Nickel chloride phosphine complexes are corrosive and cancer suspect agents. Handle in a fume hood.
Mental Health Services for Homeless People

By definition, the homeless are a severely disadvantaged population. One of their disadvantages is a high prevalence of psychiatric disorder.1–4 Studies of the mental health of the homeless conclude that the prevalence of serious mental disorder is considerably higher than in the general population; about one-third of homeless adults have had a psychiatric hospital admission at some time.2,4 The need of this population for mental health services is great, but providing such services is made difficult by their extreme poverty, their lack of insight into their psychiatric problems, their distaste for psychiatric treatment, and the complexity of their service needs. These needs, therefore, are often poorly met.5 This chapter considers how clinical work with homeless people is affected by the special characteristics of the target population and how these characteristics affect the development of effective service systems.
The absorption spectrum of neptunium hexafluoride

Abstract Recent interest in the properties of neptunium hexafluoride included the development of non-destructive methods for the analysis of this volatile, reactive substance. While the infrared spectrum of neptunium hexafluoride has been reported [1], only the work of G oodman [2] and E isenstein and P ryce [3] give data on the absorption spectrum in the visible and near infrared regions. This note records the spectrum of gaseous neptunium hexafluoride in the region of 2000 to 20,000 A and tabulates the principal peaks together with their molar absorptivities.
Recoil-induced resonances in pump-probe spectroscopy

When a pump field and probe field simultaneously drive an electronic-state atomic transition, the probe field absorption spectrum can consist of an absorption peak centered near \ensuremath{\Delta}'=0 and amplification peak centered near \ensuremath{\Delta}'=2\ensuremath{\Delta} (\ensuremath{\Delta} and \ensuremath{\Delta}' are the pump and probe field detunings from the atomic transition frequency, respectively). This type of spectrum is seen in the limit \ensuremath{\Vert}\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Vert}\ensuremath{\gg}\ensuremath{\chi}\ensuremath{\gg}\ensuremath{\Gamma}, where \ensuremath{\chi} is the Rabi frequency associated with the pump field and 2\ensuremath{\Gamma} is the homogeneous width associated with the atomic transition. For atoms cooled below the recoil limit of laser cooling, the qualitative nature of the probe absorption spectrum can undergo a dramatic change. Provided that the recoil splitting ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathit{k}}$ is larger than the homogeneous decay rate (as might occur in the case of a forbidden transition), the absorption and amplification features each split into an absorption-amplification doublet. In addition, structure is found in the probe absorption spectrum near \ensuremath{\Delta}'=\ensuremath{\Delta}; this structure consists of two absorption-amplification doublets. Both doublets can be resolved if ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathit{k}}$g\ensuremath{\Gamma}. If ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathit{k}}$, one of the doublets can be resolved provided that ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathit{k}}$g${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{\mathit{A}}$, where ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{\mathit{A}}$ is some effective atomic ground state width in the problem. The positions, widths, and relative weights of all the components are readily predicted using a dressed-atom theory in which quantization of the center-of-mass momentum is included. An analytical expression for the probe field spectrum is obtained for a simple case in which spontaneous decay to the lower level is neglected. Validity criteria for the results are discussed.
Infant temperament: implications for later sleep and eating/feeding

Objective: A study was conducted to investigate links between infant temperament and eating/feeding, as well as sleep, in the toddler period. Background: Prior studies suggest there may be important connections between temperament and these health-related areas of functioning. However, existing research has been rather limited, generally cross-sectional in nature, with an emphasis on challenging aspects of temperament. As a result, positive emotionality and regulatory capacity, as well as more fine-grained domains of temperament, have been largely neglected. Method: Mothers who participated in an infant temperament evaluation were invited to take part in the follow-up study addressing sleep and eating/feeding for toddlers, completing questionnaires concerning these areas of functioning (N = 27). The Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) and the Infant Feeding Practices Questionnaire (IFQ) were utilised to measure sleep and eating/feeding difficulties, respectively, whereas the Infant Behavior Questionna...
Diagnostic Use of WISC-R Subtest Scatter: A Note of Caution.

Historically, the diagnostic use of WISC-R subtest scatter in the identification of special education students has been widespread. Research in this area has been based primarily on studies using referred populations (i.e., students with known or suspected learning problems). Data regarding subtest scatter of nonreferred students, however, minimize the diagnostic importance of such an approach. This study investigated the subtest scatter of a large sample of nonreferred students of three ethnic backgrounds-black, white and Hispanic. The magnitude of the subtest scatter was similar to Kaufman's (1976) analysis of the standardization data. The inclusion of the Hispanic group, however, produced a pattern somewhat different than that of Kaufman's study, particularly regarding scatter as a function of over-all IQ level. The implications of these results are discussed, focusing on the cautions use of the scatter index as a diagnostic method.
Multi-drug delivery to tumor cells via micellar nanocarriers

The aim of this study was to develop micellar nanocarriers for concomitant delivery of paclitaxel and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) for cancer therapy. Paclitaxel and 17-AAG were simultaneously loaded into polymeric micelles by a solvent evaporation method. Two candidate nanocarrier constructs, polyethylene glycol-poly(D, L-lactic acid) (PEG-PLA) micelles and PEG-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine/tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG-DSPE/TPGS) mixed micelles, were assessed for the release kinetics of the loaded drugs. Compared to PEG-PLA micelles, entrapment of paclitaxel and 17-AAG into PEG-DSPE/TPGS mixed micelles resulted in significantly prolonged release half-lives. The simultaneous incorporation of paclitaxel and 17-AAG into PEG-DSPE/TPGS mixed micelles was confirmed by (1)H NMR analysis. Paclitaxel/17-AAG-loaded PEG-DSPE/TPGS mixed micelles were as effective in blocking the proliferation of human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells as the combined free drugs. PEG-DSPE/TPGS mixed micelles may provide a novel and advantageous delivery approach for paclitaxel/17-AAG combination therapy.
Probing the GeV dark sector at the LHC

Dark matter can carry GeV −1 scale self-interactions. The GeV force carrier and associated states constitute the so-called dark sector. We outline the LHC signals of such a dark sector.
Acetylcholinesterase from Bungarus fasciatus venom-I. Substrate specificity.

Abstract 1. Although acetylcholine is the preferred substance for the acetylcholinestrase of Bungarus fasciatus venom, it hydrolyses both charged and neutral substrates. 2. No substrate inhibition is observed with neutral substrates while charged substrates with the exception of acetyl-β-methylcholine exhibit substrate optimum. 3. Esters of thiocholine had lower K m and higher V max values than their oxygen analogues. 4. The enzyme has a K m of 417 μmoles for acetylcholine. 5. The enzyme exhibits a mixed type of inhibition with various charged inhibitors.
Acoustic diffraction by a rigid annular disk

The subject of this paper is the problem of acoustic diffraction by a perfectly rigid annular disk. The method of solution rests on formulating the problem in terms of an integral equation which embodies the steady state wave equation as well as the boundary conditions. This Fredholm integral equation of the first kind is converted into four simultaneous integral equations of the second kind by using Williams' integral equation technique. These four integral equations are subsequently solved by the standard iterative procedure when the frequency of the incident wave is low and the inner radius of the annulus is small.
Experience with 276 intra-amniotic prostaglandin F2α induced midtrimester abortions

Abstract Induction of midtrimester abortion using 40 mg intra-amniotic prostaglandin F 2α was performed on 276 patients. Gestational age and fetal status had no effect on injection-to-abortion time while multiparity and the concomitant use of laminaria appeared to decrease the abortion time. The side effect and complication rates were acceptable and the results compare favorably with those of other midtrimester abortion techniques.
Error analysis for dielectric spectroscopy using shielded open-circuited coaxial lines of general length

The shielded open-circuited coaxial line of general length is studied in detail as a sample cell for broadband measurements of the dielectric permittivity. This cell is a section of transmission line with the center conductor abruptly terminated. The dielectric material to be measured fills the coaxial section of the cell and extends beyond the center conductor into the tube formed by the outer conductor of the transmission line. The permittivities of several primary alcohols were measured with the open-circuited sample cell. The measured relaxation spectra for these alcohols are used to demonstrate the usefulness of the error analysis.
Polyamines and arginine affect somatic embryogenesis of Daucus carota

Summary Cell suspension cells of Daucus carota were treated with putrescine (0.03 μ M) in the presence of 2 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 40 mg/l arginine. When the cultures were transferred to a medium lacking 2,4-D and putrescine, globular embryos were produced which did not develop further. Globular embryos were subsequently transferred to a medium lacking arginine, and rapid synchronous development of the embryos occurred. This approach offers the possibility of controlling the process of somatic embryogenesis for developmental and biochemical studies, as well as the opportunity for large scale synchronous production for propagation purposes.
Conceptualisation of deviations in intonation production in aphasia

Background: Most studies of intonation disorder in brain‐damaged patients assume that normal intonation is made up of a single overall pitch contour that is holistically either “linguistic” or “affective”, and processed globally. However, data suggest that intonation may be processed in units smaller than the overall pitch contour, and that its disorder may be attributable to impaired ability to process aspects of those units. Aim: The present study was conducted to determine whether deviations in intonation production in aphasia are attributable to deficit in processing the global pitch (fundamental frequency) contour or components of it. Methods & Procedures: Two sentence types of two lengths produced by patients with fluent and nonfluent aphasia, as well as neurologically normal control participants, were evaluated acoustically and perceptually. The acoustic evaluation included measures of declination and identifiable components of the fundamental frequency (F0) contour. Outcomes & Results: For all gro...
Respiratory system mechanics in patients receiving aerosolized ribavirin during mechanical ventilation for suspected respiratory syncytial viral infection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important respiratory pathogen for infants. Aerosolized ribavirin (AR) has been used in mechanically ventilated (MV) patients with RSV bronchiolitis. The purpose of this study was to measure respiratory system mechanics (RSM) in pediatric patients requiring MV and receiving AR for suspected RSV. Patients were prospectively randomized to receive AR, either at a regular dose (RD) (6 g/300 mL over 18 hr/day) or a high dose (HD) (6 g/100 mL over 2 hr, three times a day). To measure changes in RSM, a passive exhalation technique was used before and after each dose of AR; time constant (tc) in s, resistance (Rrs) in cmH2O/mL/kg/s, and quasistatic compliance (Crs) in mL/cmH2O/kg were measured. Airway pressure and flow signals were obtained and analyzed using a pneumotachograph, a differential pressure transducer, and a computer interface. Statistical analysis was done by Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon rank tests. Thirteen patients were enrolled: 5 patients in the HD group (mean age of 52 months), and 8 patients in the RD group (mean age of 10 months). Four and 5 patients were positive for RSV by ELISA in the HD and RD groups, respectively. The RSM in the HD group were: tc, 0.58 ± 0.15 s and 0.55 ± 0.20 s before and after AR, respectively; Rrs, 0.03 ± 0.03 cmH20/mL/kg/s and 0.02 ± 0.02 cmH20/mL/kg/s, respectively; and Crs, 0.63 ± 0.21 mL/cmH2O/kg and 0.70 ± 0.13 mL/cmH2O/kg, respectively. In the RD group, the RSM were: tc, 0.37 ± 0.12 s and 0.31 ± 0.10 s before and after AR, respectively; Rrs, 0.03 ± 0.02 cmH20/mL/kg/s and 0.02 ± 0.01 cmH20/mL/kg/s, respectively (P < 0.05); and Crs, 0.46 ± 0.20 mL/cmH2O/kg and 0.46 ± 0.19 mL/cmH2O/kg, respectively. We conclude that the use of AR for bronchiolitis in infants and young children during mechanical ventilation does not worsen RSM. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1999; 28:117–124. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Elemental concentrations and their distribution in two bituminous coals of different paleoenvironments

Abstract The vertical distributions of major and minor elements in two high-volatile bituminous coals of Eastern Tennessee are compared. The coals studied are the Pewee, deposited in a fresh-water environment, and the Upper Grassy Spring, previously thought to be influenced by a late incursion of marine water. X-ray fluorescence analyses were performed on a continuous series of specimens obtained from full-face channel samples representing the entire thickness of each seam. Correlation coefficients (r) for all element pairs show high positive correlations for element pairs normally associated with clay minerals. Equally good correlations were observed for (Si, Ti) and (Al, Ti), suggesting that titanium is associated with clay minerals in both coals. Strontium and phosphorous showed a high positive r factor for both the Upper Grassy Spring and the Pewee. Major differences were found to exist in the concentrations and distributions of sulfur, iron, and arsenic in the Upper Grassy Spring and Pewee seams. The Upper Grassy Spring contains an order of magnitude more sulfur than the Pewee as well as several times as much iron and arsenic. The element concentrations and especially their distributions in the Upper Grassy Spring suggest an earlier time for the marine incursion than previously reported. In fact, there is evidence that this coal deposit may have been influenced by marine conditions from its inception.
Role of growth hormone in experimental phosphorus deprivation in the rat.

The demands of growth are known to exacerbate the effect of phosphorus deprivation (PD). We examined whether changes associated with PD could be prevented in young rats in which growth and growth hormone (GH) were eliminated by hypophysectomy (HPX) and whether PD in normal intact rats (INT) was associated with increased secretion of GH. INT or thyroxine- and ACTH-replaced HPX rats were fed one of the three diets: 0.31% P (NP); 0.027% P (LP), and 0.31% P, pair-fed with LP-mates (NP-PF). The results indicate that HPX did not qualitatively alter several physiologic responses to PD: (a) serum and urinary phosphorus (P) decreased and urinary calcium (Ca) increased; (b) net intestinal Ca retention fell and duodenal sac uptake of45Ca rose; and (c) external P balance was restored and duodenal sac uptake of32P-phosphate increased. Only the hypercalcemia seen in INT, LP rats was prevented by HPX. In INT rats serum immunoassayable GH levels, measured in single samples, were not different between different dietary groups while pituitary bioassayable GH was reduced in both LP and NP-PF rats when compared to the NP rats. Thus, except for hypercalcemia, the physiologic responses associated with PD are not prevented by the elimination of growth and GH, and the development of these responses in INT rats was not associated with a consistent or specific alteration in GH secretion.
THE POLYMERIZATION OF PROTEINS ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE AND THE POLYMERIZATION OF ACTIN

It was found that actin solutions contain ATP. Experiments in which hexokinase and creatine were added to actin show that the ensuing dephosphorylation of ATP affects actin so that it will not polymerize.
Preparation of amorphous Ga–Sn–Zn–O semiconductor thin films by RF-sputtering method

Abstract Ga–Sn–Zn–O (GTZO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates via the radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method at room temperature. The target for the GTZO film deposition was a single GaSnZnO pellet. Various oxygen gas content levels in the sputtering gas ambient (0, 3.8, 7.4, and 10.7%) were used in the deposition experiments. The resistivity of GTZO films decreased from 78 to 19.5 Ω cm when the oxygen content was decreased from 10.7 to 0%. The carrier concentration significantly decreased from 1.81 × 10 17 cm −3 to 5.98 × 10 15 cm −3 when the oxygen content was increased from 0 to 10.7%. Incorporating oxygen into GTZO films suppresses oxygen vacancy formation, resulting in a reduction of generated free carriers. The mobility increases rapidly with increasing oxygen pressure. The highest mobility of 13.3 cm 2 /V s was obtained at a carrier concentration of 5.98 × 10 15 cm −3 .
Report on Io Workshop

Five years after Voyager 1 and 2 encountered Jupiter's intriguing satellite Io, many geologic questions remain open. What is the composition of Io? How large a part does sulfur play in the formation of landforms? Are the flows seen on Io sulfur or silicate, and how are they emplaced? What methods can we use to find out? Finally, what can the upcoming Galileo mission to Jupiter tell us that will help answer these questions?
The Democratization of Meat and Protein in Late Eighteenth‐ and Nineteeth‐Century Europe

(1997). The Democratization of Meat and Protein in Late Eighteenth‐ and Nineteeth‐Century Europe. The Historian: Vol. 59, No. 3, pp. 541-551.
Feasibility of intrafraction whole-body motion tracking for total marrow irradiation

With image-guided tomotherapy, highly targeted total marrow irradiation (TMI) has become a feasible alternative to conventional total body irradiation. The uncertainties in patient localization and intrafraction motion of the whole body during hour-long TMI treatment may pose a risk to the safety and accuracy of targeted radiation treatment. The feasibility of near-infrared markers and optical tracking system (OTS) is accessed along with a megavoltage scanning system of tomotherapy. Three near-infrared markers placed on the face of a rando phantom are used to evaluate the capability of OTS in measuring changes in the markers' positions as the rando is moved in the translational direction. The OTS is also employed to determine breathing motion related changes in the position of 16 markers placed on the chest surface of human volunteers. The maximum uncertainty in locating marker position with the OTS is 1.5 mm. In the case of normal and deep breathing motion, the maximum marker position change is observed in anterior-posterior direction with the respective values of 4 and 12 mm. The OTS is able to measure surface changes due to breathing motion. The OTS may be optimized to monitor whole body motion during TMI to increase the accuracy of treatment delivery and reduce the radiation dose to the lungs.
Consideration of Physiologic Mechanisms in Animal Models of “Sudden Death”

Animal research of the “sudden death” phenomenon purporting to demonstrate causal psychological states has serious methodologic problems. Neither models nor the definition of the term, “sudden death,” are uniformly adopted; thus, the literature contains many conflicting reports. Further, much of the work has dealt with assumed psychological causation which is nontestable in nonverbal animals and tends to obscure study of quantifiable behavioral and physiological mechanisms.
Kondensation von aromatischen Aldehyden mit Nitromethan

Einige Derivate des β-Resorcyl-aldehydes wurden mit Nitromethan kondensiert unter Anwendung von Ammoniumacetat und Eisessig als Kondensationsmittel.
Similarity pyramid: browsing a document database with respect to visual similarity

Managing large document databases has become an important task. Sorting documents with respect to their visual similarity and layout features, and visualization of the whole document database is a desirable application. A user may wish to search for documents in a database that are similar to a query in temrs of their stylistic features, or he/she may want to browse the whole database. In these tasks, clustering similar documents and organizing the document database with respect to the clusters is preferable to presenting documents in a random order. In this paper, we propose organization of single-page documents in a 3-D hierarchical structure called a similarity pyramid. The pyramid is constructed from a stack of document database embeddings on a 2-D surface with the help of a nonlinear dimensionality reduction algorithm called Isomap. The mapping algorithm preserves similarity distances between documents by mapping documents that are close to each other in a feature space to points on low-dimensional surface that are close to each other. Higher levels of the pyramid consist of document image icons that represent a large group of roughly similar documents, whereas lower levels contain document image icons representing small groups of very similar documents. A user can browse the database by moving along a certain level of a pyramid by moving between dierent levels