cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monitoring microfluidic interfacial flows using impedance spectroscopy

Abstract Microfluidic platforms capable of complex on-chip processing and liquid handling enable a wide variety of sensing, cellular, and material-related applications across a spectrum of disciplines in engineering and biology. However, there is a general lack of available microscale sensors capable of non-optically monitoring and quantifying on-chip fluid motion. Hence, many microfluidic systems are confined to the laboratory because their use requires optical microscopy. Here, we present a method for dynamically tracking laminar interfacial flows in microfluidic channels non-optically using impedance spectroscopy. Using a microfluidic T-channel, we generate a liquid interface by co-flowing two different electrolyte streams side-by-side. The interface is driven through an array of “displacement” electrodes where it is electrokinetically deflected across the microchannel. The interfacial flow is monitored downstream using an array of interdigitated “impedance” electrodes which dynamically measure the electrochemical impedance near the surface of the flow channel. We demonstrate that the impedance spectrum is sensitively influenced by the position of the deflected interface. While laminar fluid interfaces are ubiquitous to microfluidic flows and used extensively in rheology and biomolecular detection, it is currently difficult to measure their position non-optically. The sensing method presented here enables the interfacial position to be dynamically determined without a microscope and provides a new tool for lowering the barriers to operating microfluidic devices outside the confines of a traditional laboratory.
Selected applications of dynamic radiation force of ultrasound in biomedicine

Ultrasound imaging has been used for decades for medical and industrial imaging. Ultrasound in the range of 1-10 MHz has also been used for evaluating tissue properties characterization for many years. Recently, use of low frequency (audio range) vibration for medical diagnosis and evaluation of tissue properties has attracted increased attention. It has been shown that such vibration can reveal important information about tissue mechanical properties that are related to tissue pathology. We use the radiation force of ultrasound to vibrate tissue at low (kHz) frequency range, and record the resulting acoustic response to produce images that are related to the stiffness of the tissue. This method is tested on human breast, liver, heart valve, and arteries. Results show that small microcalcifications can be detected in human breast, calcium buildups can be seen in arteries, and mass lesions can be detected in liver tissues. In these tests, the vibration frequency ranged from 5 to 50 kHz. Another application of the radiation force method is studying solid structures through modal analysis.
The International Climate Change Regime: The Road from Copenhagen

The failure of the Copenhagen conference to adopt a new legal agreement on climate change is blamed by some on poor chairing or other transitory factors. But the problems with the UN climate change negotiations are more fundamental and are unlikely to go away anytime soon. Rather than putting all of our eggs in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change basket or listening to the siren song of a new legal agreement, states should seek to address climate change in additional forums and through additional means. This essay for the Viewpoints Series of the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements analyzes why the Copenhagen Conference was so difficult and assesses possible paths forward.
Recognizing Elder Abuse and Neglect

The signs and symptoms of elder abuse and neglect may mimic the signs and symptoms of many common chronic medical conditions in elderly persons. A complete assessment for elder abuse and neglect is time consuming and is best performed as a regimented evaluation that includes separate histories from the patient and suspected party and a clinical assessment that emphasizes function, cognition, and specific aspects of the physical examination. The management of elder abuse and neglect should be multidisciplinary with several key personnel participating. An elderly person in immediate danger should be removed from his or her environment. For less acute cases, a variety of interventions aimed at decreasing the stress of caregiving or ameliorating other family stressors may be appropriate. Most states require that clinicians who suspect elder abuse and neglect report their concerns to a designated authority. There are many gaps in our knowledge about elder abuse and neglect. It is hoped that with the future application of rigorous epidemiologic methodology as has been employed in the study of child abuse, this social ill can be better understood and prevented. Until then, clinicians must integrate their clinical experience and social skills to recognize the problem and provide thoughtful and compassionate intervention.
Skin cancer risk assessment in dark skinned immigrants: the role of social determinants and ethnicity

Objectives: Dark-skinned people have a lower incidence rate of skin cancer, in particular melanoma, which is detected at more advanced stages leading to poorer prognoses and long-term outcomes comp...
Frog breeding pond selection in response to predators and conspecific cues

Predators are a major influence on the breeding site selection decisions of anurans. Many species actively avoid breeding in habitat with predators when given the choice between predator and predator-free sites. However, certain factors such as site fidelity or conflicting cues may preclude avoidance behavior. We conducted two experiments examining how western chorus frogs, Pseudacris triseriata, respond to predators, western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, using an array of artificial ponds located at two field sites. In one experiment, we added G. affinis to half of our experimental ponds and monitored subsequent colonization by frogs. We found that frogs laid significantly fewer eggs in ponds with fish compared to fishless ponds. In another experiment, we introduced an additional cue to complicate the decision-making process and monitored colonization of ponds in response to treatments of conspecific breeding cues only (eggs), predators (G. affinis) only, and conspecific cues and predators. We found no significant differences in number of eggs deposited among these three treatments. Based on these results, P. triseriata does not always exhibit complete avoidance of fish predators, and avoidance may vary based on factors such as site fidelity or dispersal costs. This study represents a step toward understanding how multiple biotic factors at a breeding pond may influence anuran site selection behavior in the field.
Implementation of a Postoperative Outpatient Care Pathway for Delayed Hyponatremia Following Transsphenoidal Surgery.

Background After transsphenoidal surgery, delayed hyponatremia (DH) is the leading cause of 30-d unplanned hospital readmissions. Objective To determine the impact of a DH care pathway on 30-d readmissions after transsphenoidal surgery. Methods Data from before and after DH care pathway implementation were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics were compared. Readmission causes, clinical pathway failures, sodium trends, and symptoms were evaluated. Results Before the DH care pathway implementation, 229 (55%) patients were treated (group 1); afterward, 188 (45%) were treated (group 2). Baseline characteristics were equivalent between groups, except for glucocorticoid supplementation, which was higher in group 2. The incidence of detected DH was significantly lower in group 1 (16/229, 7%) than group 2 (29/188, 15%) (P = .006) likely due to the impact of routine screening in group 2. Ten group 1 patients (4%) were readmitted for hyponatremia and 6 (3%) were managed as outpatients. Eleven group 2 patients (6%) were readmitted and 17 (9%) were managed as outpatients. Readmission rates between groups were similar (P = .49). Patients readmitted with severe hyponatremia experienced symptoms ≥24 h before presentation. The protocol failed to prevent readmission because outpatient management for mild or moderate DH (n = 4) failed, sodium levels precipitously declined after normal screening (n = 3), and severe hyponatremia developed after scheduled screenings were missed (n = 3). Conclusion Although more DH patients were identified after care pathway implementation, readmission rates were not reduced and clinical outcomes were not changed. Because DH onset timing varies, some patients have highly acute presentation, and most readmitted patients develop symptoms before reaching their sodium nadir, close symptom monitoring may be a reasonable alternative to routine screening.
Update on MSAFP policy statement from the American Society of Human Genetics.

This publication is a supplement to The American Society of Human genetics (ASHG) Policy Statement for Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Screening Programs and Quality Control for Laboratories Performing Maternal Serum and Amniotic Fluid Alpha Fetoprotein Assays, published in February 1987 by ASHG in the American Journal of Human Genetics (40:75-82, 1987). This updated policy statement is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered as of April 20, 1989
Standard analytes for E-noses and E-tongues

Odor and taste compounds are suggested here as standard analytes for e-nose and e-tongue instruments to provide performance criteria regarding the capacity of these electronic sensing devices to mimic human chemosensory responses. Representative odor and taste standards for sensitivity, suprathreshold intensity, and quality are proposed. Ultimately, a formal set of analytical standards should be established by the electronic sensing community. Subsets of these formalized standards could then be adopted for specific applications.
QoS-Oriented Management of Automobile Cruise Control Processes

Networked embedded software systems incorporate varying degrees of adaptation behavior to sustain their operations with acceptable quality of service (QoS), in the face of hostile external events. For instance, a highly agile cruise control system of a car may dynamically adjust its controller parameters to generate a higher-than-normal increase in torque when encountering a higher road elevation (relative to a normal controller). The paper formulates model-based assessment techniques to reason about how capable is a networked system in meeting its QoS specs in the presence of hostile external events. As a case study, we describe the QoS assessment of a multi-vehicle adaptive cruise control system.
Wearable devices and healthcare: Data sharing and privacy

ABSTRACTWearable devices introduce many new capabilities to the delivery of healthcare. But wearables also pose grave privacy risks. Furthermore, information overload gets in the way of informed co...
Demonstrating without demands: re-articulating the black populist subject within the post-racial mystique

The recent groundswell of American social protest illuminates the neoliberal constraints on constructing a people in the twenty-first century. Perhaps no one has better helped facilitate such discu...
IRBs and the Regulation of Social Science Research

The use of IRBs as a mechanism for regulating federally-funded research followed from the Public Health Service rules of 1966. These were issued in response to the public outcry against certain rather disturbing findings with some medical experiments.(1) The social science community was somewhat surprised, however, when the federal government insisted some years later that IRBs had responsibility for overseeing social science research as well as biomedical research involving human subjects. Although the original rules had ostensibly applied to social science research, neither the Public Health Service nor any of the early IRBs interpreted these regulations literally (Gray, 1979; Seiler and Murtha, 1979).
Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in large animal models: Relevance to human neonatal encephalopathy:

Perinatal hypoxia-ischemia resulting in death or lifelong disabilities remains a major clinical disorder. Neonatal models of hypoxia-ischemia in rodents have enhanced our understanding of cellular mechanisms of neural injury in developing brain, but have limitations in simulating the range, accuracy, and physiology of clinical hypoxia-ischemia and the relevant systems neuropathology that contribute to the human brain injury pattern. Large animal models of perinatal hypoxia-ischemia, such as partial or complete asphyxia at the time of delivery of fetal monkeys, umbilical cord occlusion and cerebral hypoperfusion at different stages of gestation in fetal sheep, and severe hypoxia and hypoperfusion in newborn piglets, have largely overcome these limitations. In monkey, complete asphyxia produces preferential injury to cerebellum and primary sensory nuclei in brainstem and thalamus, whereas partial asphyxia produces preferential injury to somatosensory and motor cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Mid-gestational fetal sheep provide a valuable model for studying vulnerability of progenitor oligodendrocytes. Hypoxia followed by asphyxia in newborn piglets replicates the systems injury seen in term newborns. Efficacy of post-insult hypothermia in animal models led to the success of clinical trials in term human neonates. Large animal models are now being used to explore adjunct therapy to augment hypothermic neuroprotection.
Quasisymmetric and Schur expansions of cycle index polynomials

Abstract Given a subgroup G of the symmetric group S n , the cycle index polynomial cyc G is the average of the power-sum symmetric polynomials indexed by the cycle types of permutations in G . By Polya’s Theorem, the monomial expansion of cyc G is the generating function for weighted colorings of n objects, where we identify colorings related by one of the symmetries in G . This paper develops combinatorial formulas for the fundamental quasisymmetric expansions and Schur expansions of certain cycle index polynomials. We give explicit bijective proofs based on standardization algorithms applied to equivalence classes of colorings. Subgroups studied here include Young subgroups of S n , the alternating groups A n , direct products, conjugate subgroups, and certain cyclic subgroups of S n generated by ( 1 , 2 , … , k ) . The analysis of these cyclic subgroups when k is prime reveals an unexpected connection to perfect matchings on a hypercube with certain vertices identified.
Maternity blues: risk factors in Greek population and validity of the Greek version of Kennerley and Gath's blues questionnaire.

Aim: To validate the Greek version of Kennerley and Gath’s Blues Questionnaire (BQ) and gather further knowledge on maternity blues (MB) associations with certain clinical and sociodemographic fact...
The influence of half-range quadrature scheme on ADO method convergence

In this work, a discrete ordinates solution for a neutron transport problem in one-dimensional Cartesian geometry is presented. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the half-range quadrature scheme, the Analytical Discrete Ordinates method (ADO) is used to solve two classes of problems in finite and homogeneous media (with isotropic and linear anisotropic scattering), for steady-state regime, without inner source and prescribed boundary conditions. Numerical results for the scalar fluxes were obtained and comparisons with other works in the literature were made. The versatility of the use of quadratures has always been seen as an advantage of the ADO method which, besides providing accurate results at a low computational cost, has a simpler approach, allowing the use of free software distribution for the simulations. In the results analysis, it was verified that the use of the half-range quadrature was able to accelerate the convergence, mainly in linearly anisotropic problems.
National Analysis of Perioperative Morbidity of Vaginal Versus Laparoscopic Hysterectomy at the Time of Uterosacral Ligament Suspension.

STUDY OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to compare the morbidity of vaginal versus laparoscopic hysterectomy when performed with uterosacral ligament suspension. DESIGN Retrospective propensity-score matched cohort study. SETTING American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. PATIENTS We included all patients who had undergone uterosacral ligament suspension and concurrent total vaginal hysterectomy (TVH-USLS) or total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH-USLS) from 2010 to 2015. We excluded those who underwent laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, abdominal hysterectomy, other surgical procedures for apical pelvic organ prolapse, or had gynecologic malignancy. INTERVENTIONS We compared 30-day complication rates in patients who underwent TVH-USLS versus TLH-USLS in both the total study population and a propensity score matched cohort. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The study population consisted of 3,349 patients who underwent TVH-USLS and 484 who underwent TLH-USLS. Patients who underwent TVH-USLS had a significantly higher composite complication rate (11.4% vs 6.4%, odds ratio [OR] 1.9, 1.3-2.8; p <.01) and a higher serious complication rate (5.6% vs 3.1%, OR 1.8, 1.1-3.1; p = .02), which excluded urinary tract infection and superficial surgical site infection. The propensity score analysis was performed, and patients were matched in a 1:1 ratio between the TVH-USLS group and the TLH-USLS group. In the matched cohort, patients who underwent TVH-USLS had a higher composite complication rate than those who underwent TLH-USLS (10.3% vs 6.4%, OR 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.7; p = .04), whereas the rate of serious complications did not differ between the groups (4.3% vs 3.1%, OR 1.4, 95% CI, 0.7-2.8; p = .4). On multivariate logistic regression, TVH-USLS remained an independent predictor of composite complications (adjusted OR 1.6, 95% CI, 1.0-2.6; p = .04) but not serious complications (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI, 0.7-2.8; p = .3). CONCLUSION In this large national cohort, TVH-USLS was associated with a higher composite complication rate than TLH-USLS, largely secondary to an increased rate of urinary tract infection. After matching, the groups had similar rates of serious complications. These data suggest that TLH-USLS should be viewed as a safe alternative to TVH-USLS.
11 – Offenses Against Public Peace

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the offenses of riot, disorderly conduct, vagrancy and loitering, and obstructing a highway or public place. In riot and riot-related offenses, the number of participants must be greater than one to constitute a crime. Group behavior is potentially more dangerous to the public peace and poses special problems for the police. In most instances, at least three or more persons must be involved if the offense is to be classified as a riot. The three crimes of unlawful assembly, rout, and riot represent the traditionally recognized steps in violent mob action. To protect the public peace, laws defining offenses, some of which are minor in character, have been enacted. These offenses are often characterized as offenses against the public peace or offenses against public order.
Carrot or Stick? Supplier Diversity and its Impact on Carbon Emission Reduction Strategies

Problem definition: This study examines the antecedents and consequences of knowledge sharing and monitoring based governance strategies on emissions reduction. We theorize, and empirically test, the impact of supply base diversity in industry and geographic locations on the governance strategy choices. Academic/Practical relevance: Engaging in emissions reduction is an important priority for companies large and small. Few empirical studies have systematically examined supply chain governance strategies with large scale empirical data. Such a data-based analysis may provide managers with clues to implementing and assessing the efficacy of these strategies. Methodology: We use a diverse set of data sources that include CDP, Compustat, Factset, and Trucost, among others. We used a multinomial logit framework to model the strategies choices. To evaluate implications of governance strategies, we used a treatment effect model to provide an estimate of the impact of adopting different governance strategies on the GHG emissions intensity changes. Results: We find that sector and regional diversity both have a significant impact on emissions reduction strategies, yet their direct and interactive impacts are different. Regarding consequences, we find that engaging suppliers is associated with GHG emissions reduction for both buyers and suppliers. Specifically, monitoring (knowledge sharing) can lower total emissions intensity by 2.6% (3%) for the firm and 3.8% (1.3%) for supplier. Managerial implications: Our findings provide insights for managers making decisions about GHG emissions reduction strategy and assess its magnitude.
On the future of teaching preaching in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic

In this article, I commend a way forward in preaching pedagogy over the next ten years 1 I propose a turn toward improvisational teaching that is technologically innovative, intentionally collaborative, and strategically diverse These commitments arise from ongoing pedagogical research, teaching and learning experiences in classrooms and conferences, dialogues with colleagues, and most importantly, from listening to students at various seminaries and divinity schools discuss how they learn, grow, and thrive as preachers © Creative Commons
An Executive's Guide to Information Technology: Principles, Business Models, and Terminology

Assessing the most valuable technology for an organization is becoming a growing challenge for business professionals confronted with an expanding array of options. This 2007 book is an A-Z compendium of technological terms written for the non-technical executive, allowing quick identification of what the term is and why it is significant. This is more than a dictionary - it is a concise review of the most important aspects of information technology from a business perspective: the major advantages, disadvantages and business value propositions of each term are discussed, as well as sources for further reading, and cross-referencing with other terms where applicable. The essential elements of each concept are covered in a succinct manner so the reader can quickly obtain the required knowledge without wading through exhaustive descriptions. With over 200 terms, this is a valuable reference for non- and semi-technical managers, executives and graduate students in business and technology management.
210Po-210Pb distribution and carbon export in the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope

Abstract An important pathway for CO2 sinking in the ocean is via the “biological pump”, driven by the production of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the surface ocean and its subsequent export to the deeper ocean via vertical settling. Here we examine the vertical fluxes of POC in the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico by utilizing the short-lived radionuclide pair 210Po - 210Pb. The total activities of 210Po and 210Pb ranged from 2.5 ± 0.35 to 16.52 ± 1.98 dpm 100 L-1 and from 3.47 ± 0.45 to 24.49 ± 3.42 dpm 100 L-1 respectively with the exception of higher activities of 210Po (87.36 ± 11.38 dpm 100 L-1) and 210Pb (32.25 ± 4.35 dpm 100 L-1) from the near bottom water in the hypersaline anoxic Orca basin. In the upper 150 m of the water column, the inventories of 210Pb were consistently greater than those of 210Po while the total overall water column inventories of 210Po and 210Pb were found to be near equilibrium. The 210Po fluxes varied between 9.8 ± 6.34 dpm m-2 d-1 and 30.7 ± 12.06 dpm m-2 d-1 with corresponding POC fluxes between 8.6 mg C m-2 d-1 and 37.65 mg C m-2 d-1. The fluxes showed a general decreasing trend further offshore, closely following a similar trend in net primary productivity across the slope. The export efficiency ratios “e-ratios” of the biological pump over this slope region was found to vary between 0.027 and 0.11 averaging at 0.05 ± 0.01, which is low. The 210Po based and the model-based e-ratio estimates were different but within the range of previous estimates.
RNA-regulatory exosome complex confers cellular survival to promote erythropoiesis

Cellular differentiation requires vast remodeling of transcriptomes, and therefore machinery mediating remodeling controls differentiation. Relative to transcriptional mechanisms governing differentiation, post-transcriptional processes are less well understood. As an important post-transcriptional determinant of transcriptomes, the RNA exosome complex (EC) mediates processing and/or degradation of select RNAs. During erythropoiesis, the erythroid transcription factor GATA1 represses EC subunit genes. Depleting EC structural subunits prior to GATA1-mediated repression is deleterious to erythroid progenitor cells. To assess the importance of the EC catalytic subunits Dis3 and Exosc10 in this dynamic process, we asked if these subunits function non-redundantly to control erythropoiesis. Dis3 or Exosc10 depletion in primary murine hematopoietic progenitor cells reduced erythroid progenitors and their progeny, while sparing myeloid cells. Dis3 loss severely compromised erythroid progenitor and erythroblast survival, rendered erythroblasts hypersensitive to apoptosis-inducing stimuli and induced γ-H2AX, indicative of DNA double-stranded breaks. Dis3 loss-of-function phenotypes were more severe than those caused by Exosc10 depletion. We innovated a genetic rescue system to compare human Dis3 with multiple myeloma-associated Dis3 mutants S447R and R750K, and only wild type Dis3 was competent to rescue progenitors. Thus, Dis3 establishes a disease mutation-sensitive, cell type-specific survival mechanism to enable a differentiation program.
Authoring Intelligent Tutoring Systems Using Human Computation: Designing for Intrinsic Motivation

This paper proposes a methodology for authoring of intelligent tutoring systems using human computation. The methodology embeds authoring tasks in existing educational tasks to avoid the need for monetary authoring incentives. Because not all educational tasks are equally motivating, there is a tension between designing the human computation task to be optimally efficient in the short term and optimally motivating to foster participation in the long term. In order to enhance intrinsic motivation for participation, the methodology proposes designing the interaction to promote user autonomy, competence, and relatedness as defined by Self-Determination Theory. This design has implications for learning during authoring.
Review of the Expanding Role of State and Local Governments in U.S. Foreign Affairs

This Article reviews The Expanding Role of State and Local Governments in U.S. Foreign Affairs by Earl H. Fry, a book accounting how states and localities are devoting increasing resources to developing their own foreign policy. Fry description is useful and timely, but his allusions to the constitutional basis for a federal monopoly on foreign policy are too summary. As a policy matter, his suggestion for a consensus-driven solution to reconcile competing state and national interests depends on the ability of stakeholders to reach agreements in an increasingly politicized environment, and downplays the importance of foreign actors in these decisions. The book highlights the paradox that states believe they are acting on issues that are both local and foreign in nature, but leaves readers with the question of whether and how a transcendent national interest will evolve.
A Developmental Approach to Learning Disabilities

This chapter offers a developmental, life-span perspective on learning disabilities, with a focus on specific learning disabilities that affect reading and writing. Dyslexia, which is one specific kind of learning disability and has a genetic basis, is used to illustrate the changing behavioral expression of this reading disability as affected individuals encounter a curriculum with changing requirements. In keeping with the multidisciplinary nature of the field of learning disabilities, the chapter provides an overview of the contributions of the various disciplines. However, the focus is then on the special contributions of the field of developmental psychology to this field and applications of these contributions to practice as well as research. Both assessment and treatment are covered in terms of research findings and issues for practice. Special attention is given to the unresolved definitional issues and to the hallmark features of dyslexia, dysgraphia, and language learning disability. The chapter ends with a vision of how educational practice might draw on the results of research to better serve children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and language learning disability in a cost-effective, scientifically grounded, and developmentally appropriate way. Keywords: dysgraphia; dyslexia; language learning disability; learning disability; reading disability; writing disability
Carbon Fibers from UV-Assisted Stabilization of Lignin-Based Precursors

Production of high strength carbon fibers from bio-derived precursors is of topical interest. Recently, we reported on dry-spinning of a partially acetylated softwood kraft lignin to produce carbon fibers with superior properties, but the thermo-oxidative stabilization step required a long time due to a slow heating rate needed to prevent the fibers from being heated too rapidly and sticking to each other. Here we report a rapid strategy of dual UV-thermoxidative stabilization (crosslinking) of dry-spun lignin fibers that significantly reduces the stabilization time. The fibers undergo reaction close to the surface such that they can be subsequently thermally stabilized at a rapid heating rate without fibers fusing together, which reduces the total stabilization time significantly from 40 to 4 h. Consequently, the glass transition temperature of UV irradiated fibers was about 15 °C higher than that of fibers without UV treatment. Stabilized fibers were successfully carbonized at 1000 °C and resulting carbon fibers displayed a tensile strength of 900 ± 100 MPa, which is amongst the highest reported for carbon fibers derived from softwood lignin-based precursors. These results establish that UV irradiation is a rapid step that can effectively shorten the total stabilization time for production of lignin-derived carbon fibers.
Review of regulatory guidance on impurities

Summary The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been involved with the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The guidance, developed through the joint efforts of regulators and industry representatives from the European Union, Japan and the United States, Helps ensure that the different regions have consistent requirements for the data that should be submitted to the various agencies. This chapter reviews the existing information from the ICH Guidance, and compendia requirements with emphasis on impurities for the drug substance and the drug product.
The Mid1 and Mid2 Ubiquitin Ligases Associate with Astrin and Regulate Astrin Levels During Cytokinesis to Promote Proper Cell Abscission

The TRIM/RBCCsuperfamily of ubiquitin ligases has variable roles in cellular homeostasis including signaling, regulation of cytoskeletal structures and cell cycle progression. Misregulation of TRIM family members has been linked to developmental disorders and oncogenesis. The Mid1 (Midline 1 also known as Trim18) and Mid2 (Midline 2 also known as Trim1) ubiquitin ligases share a similar domain architecture including a domain that mediates the binding of these proteins to microtubules. Mid1 and Mid2 also homo and heterodimerize and have been implicated in anchoring proteins to microtubules and in bundling, stabilization and organization of microtubules. We have explored the role of Mid1 and Mid2 during cell division and determined that Mid1 and Mid2 regulate Astrin protein levels in a cell cycle dependent manner, which is critical for proper cytokinesis. Characterization of the Mid1 and Mid2 interactomes identified Astrin as the top interacting protein. Mid1 and Mid2 not only associate with Astrin, they al...
Spatial Distribution of Minority Communities and Terrorism: Domestic Concentration versus Transnational Dispersion

Qualitative studies of terrorist movements frequently highlight the importance of diaspora communities as important factors in producing and sustaining terrorist activity in countries. The underlying theoretical argument is that bifurcation of tight-knit minority communities between countries nurtures separatist or irredentist sentiments among affected community members, thus prompting terrorist activity, while minority community members in other countries might mobilize financial and political resources to support terrorist activity among their compatriots. In this study, we empirically test whether transnational dispersion, versus domestic concentration, of minority communities in countries produces higher incidents of terrorism. Conducting a series of negative binomial estimations on a reshaped database of around 170 countries from 1981 to 2006, derived from the Minorities at Risk database and the Global Terrorism Database, we determine that both transnational dispersion of kin minority communities and...
Globular Cluster Systems in Spiral Galaxies Using ACS Imaging

Extensive studies have been carried out on the populations of extragalactic GC in early-type (E/S0) galaxies using HST wide-field camera (see [2] for a review). However relatively very little information exists on the GCs of the late-type (Sa/Sb/Sc) galaxies. This can, in part, be attributed to the fact that GCs are more difficult to detect on the patchy star forming background typical of a spiral galaxy and also that E/S0 galaxies exhibit a much richer population of GCs than observed in Spirals. We present a preliminary investigation into the globular cluster systems of three late-type galaxies (see Table 1). The images were taken using the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys Wide Field Channel (ACS/WFC) with the F435W and F814W filters.
‘How to muzzle Anthony Burgess’: Re-Staging Marlowe’s Murder in Iain Sinclair and Dave McKean’s Slow Chocolate Autopsy

Slow Chocolate Autopsy (1997) is a multi-media novel that is a collaboration between the poet and novelist Iain Sinclair and the graphic illustrator, Dave McKean. It concerns the character Norton, a time-traveller, who is trapped in the layers of London’s historically violent past and is seeking to utilise the river Thames as his passage out of the city. Many of the chapters reveal his angst at his entrapment and he is either instigating violence or is, more frequently, its victim. In the first chapter of the novel, Norton is a witness to the last hours of Marlowe’s life. As he watches the action unfold on that fateful day in 1593, he realises that he ‘knew what was coming, the end of it” His prophetic anticipation only applies to Marlowe’s death though since he does not foresee that he himself will be his murderer. However, as he predicts the conclusion to the day’s events, Norton reveals his more immediate concern with the representations of Marlowe in the aftermath of his death. In particular his priority is determining 'How to muzzle Anthony Burgess', who had written the novel A Dead Man in Deptford (1993) about Marlowe’s life and death. This essay will explore why and how Sinclair is attempting to ‘muzzle’ Burgess's and biographical voices of Marlowe’s life by suggesting an alternative represention of Marlowe’s death. These questions can be answered through four approaches: first, by offering his own interpretation of the reckoning that challenges the choreographic description of the coroner’s report on which subsequent intepretations of Marlowe’s death are based; second, by downplaying biographies’ emphases on the significance of Poley, Frizer and Skeres; third, by prioritising the first-person point of view of Norton; and fourth, by using a psychogeographical reading of motive and behaviour, that uses the psychosis of location to explain human action, specifically the violence of the protagonists in 1593.
Crystalline Preparation of Botulinum Toxin Type a (Botox): Degradation in Potency with Storage:

Laryngeal injection of botulinum toxin type A is currently the most effective method of treating spasmodic dysphonia. Botox, a crystalline preparation of botulinum toxin type A, is the only toxin approved for clinical use in the United States and is packaged in vials of 100 mouse units (MU). One MU corresponds to the calculated median lethal intraperitoneal dose (LD50) injected in mice. The logistic problems arising from the need for repeated injections of small amounts of Botox have been addressed by several investigators by refreezing unused Botox for use at a later time. Although FDA labeling recommends that Botox not used within 4 hours of reconstitution be discarded, data regarding degradation in potency after reconstitution and refreezing are not currently available. Using the LD50 Swiss-Webster mouse bioassay and statistical analysis by the Probit procedure, a 69.8% loss in potency was found when Botox was reconstituted, immediately frozen, and then assayed 2 weeks later (p < 0.0001). Statistically significant degradation in potency was seen after refrigerator storage for 12 hours (p = 0.007), but not for 6 hours (p = 0.16). Clinical implications regarding the dilution, use, and storage of Botox are discussed.
A method to determine occlusal contact and noncontact areas: Preliminary report

A new method for quantitative occlusal measurement is presented. This method allows for occlusal contacts and noncontact areas to be recorded, permanently referenced, and analyzed over time. The overall extent of application and refinement of the method is unknown. However, at present it provides a method for selectively recording occlusal positions and the surrounding spatial dimensions that occur on closure.
Role of mutual inhibition in binocular rivalry

Binocular rivalry is a phenomenon that occurs when a different image is presented to each eye. The observer generally perceives just one image at a time, with perceptual switches occurring every few seconds. A natural assumption is that this perceptual mutual exclusivity is achieved via mutual inhibition between populations of neurons that encode for either percept. Theoretical models that incorporate mutual inhibition have been largely successful at capturing experimental features of rivalry, including Levelt's propositions, which characterize perceptual dominance durations as a function of image contrasts. However, basic mutual inhibition models do not fully comply with Levelt's fourth proposition, which states that percepts alternate faster as the stimulus contrasts to both eyes are increased simultaneously. This theory-experiment discrepancy has been taken as evidence against the role of mutual inhibition for binocular rivalry. Here, we show how various biophysically plausible modifications to mutual inhibition models can resolve this problem.
Stabilization of nonlinear systems in the plane

Abstract It is shown that every small-time locally controllable system in the plane can (locally) be asymptotically stabilized by employing locally Holder continuous feedback laws, as essentially was conjectured by E. Sontag. An explicit algorithm for the construction of such feedback laws is given.
A Testable Stochastic Acceleration Model for Flares in Sagittarius A

The near-IR and X-ray flares in Sagittarius A* are believed to be produced by relativistic electrons via synchrotron and synchrotron self-Comptonization, respectively. These electrons are likely energized by turbulent plasma waves through second-order Fermi acceleration that, in combination with the radiative cooling processes, produces a relativistic Maxwellian distribution in the steady state. This model has four principal parameters, namely the magnetic field B, the electron density n and temperature ?cmec2, and the size of the flare region R. In the context of stochastic acceleration, the quantities Rn1/2B and ?cRn should remain nearly constant in time. Therefore, simultaneous spectroscopic observations in the NIR and X-ray bands can readily test the model, which, if proven to be valid, may be used to determine the evolution of the plasma properties during an eruptive event with spectroscopic observations in either band or simultaneous flux density measurements in both bands. The formulae can be applied to other isolated or confined systems, where electrons are accelerated to relativistic energies by plasma wave turbulence and produce most of the emission via synchrotron processes.
Studies in Physiognomic Perception: IV. Effect of Muscular Involvement on the Dynamic Properties of Objects

(1957). Studies in Physiognomic Perception: IV. Effect of Muscular Involvement on the Dynamic Properties of Objects. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 129-132.
Critical guidelines for validation of the selectivity of in-vivo chemical microsensors

Microsensors are miniaturized analytical devices for making in-situ chemical measurements in biological systems with extraordinary temporal resolution. Their most severe limitation is chemical selectivity. Here, we suggest guidelines that can be applied to a range of in-vivo microsensor applications for evaluation of analyte identification and improvement of selectivity.
Scanning laser polarimetry and detection of progression after optic disc hemorrhage in patients with glaucoma.

Objective To examine retinal nerve fiber layer changes with scanning laser polarimetry(SLP) in the eyes of patients with glaucoma and optic disc hemorrhage. Methods Automated perimetry and SLP were performed in 17 eyes of 17 patients identified prospectively with optic disc hemorrhage. Criteria for visual field progression were based on decreased sensitivity seen at 3 adjacent points on the total deviation plot. Progression on SLP images was defined as a 15% or more decrease in the average thickness of the affected quadrant (superior or inferior), a 25% or more reduction in the affected quadrant ratio, an increase in the nerve fiber analyzer number of 10 or more (GDx Nerve Fiber Analyzer; Laser Diagnostic Technologies), or any change on Serial Analysis of the SLP images. Main Outcome Measures Visual field progression and SLP image progression. Results The mean follow-up was 31 months (minimum, 12 months). Of the 17 eyes, 10 (59%) had visual field progression. No significant change was seen on SLP images for either the total group or the group with visual field progression. Five eyes (29%) showed progression on SLP images, 3 of which also showed visual field progression. Ten eyes showed progression on SLP images that was not confirmed on subsequent imaging. Conclusions In eyes with visual field progression after optic disc hemorrhage, a significant change in the SLP image was not seen. Fluctuation of SLP results in patients with glaucoma necessitates confirmation of progression seen on SLP images.
Relation of Leaf Nitrogen Content and Other Traits with Seed Yield of Soybean

SummarySoybean redistributes or 201C;mobilizes” a large amount of its vegetative nitrogen in support of synthesis of seed storage protein. Most of this is from leaf tissue. Our objective was to elucidate the relationship between potentially mobilizable leaf nitrogen and seed yielding capacity of soybean. In each of two years, we grew 63 diverse soybean genotypes in a replicated field experiment. Whole plants were harvested from 1 m2 of plot area. Leaf mass, leaf area index, and leaf nitrogen concentration were determined at beginning of seed growth (R5). Seed yield was obtained by combine harvest. Seed yields ranged from 2400 to 4400 kg ha–1 the first year and from 2200 to 3800 kg ha–1 the second. Total leaf nitrogen content at beginning of seed growth, after adjustment for differences in reproductive duration and lodging, accounted for 40 and 34% of genotypic variation in seed yield for the two years. Leaf mass, leaf area index, and leaf nitrogen concentration were less well related to yield. Reproductiv...
Preparation, structure, and dynamics of a nickel π-allyl cyanide complex

Abstract The complex (dippe)Ni(η 3 -allyl)(CN) has been prepared and fully characterized (dippe=bis-(diisopropylphosphino)ethane), including X-ray diffraction studies, as a square pyramidal structure. The complex shows dynamic 1 H-NMR behavior consistent with substantial structural rearrangements upon π to σ allyl interconversion. A comparison is made with (dippe)Ni(η 3 -allyl)Br, which also displays a square pyramidal structure.
Safety of adjunctive transvaginal beam therapy in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Abstract At The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor institute at Houston between 1970 and 1980, 159 patients with bulky cervical cancers of FIGO Stages IB or II were treated with transvaginal orthovoltage radiotherapy (TVR) as an adjunct to standard external beam megavoltage irradiation and brachytherapy. The majority received 110 or 15 Gy air dose in 2–3 fractions using 125–250 kVp X rays. The dose from TVR was ignored in subsequent standard treatment planning. The absolute 5-year local control and survival rates were 82 and 83%, respectively. A total of 9 patients (5.7%) developed serious treatment complications that were significantly related to performance of a staging lymphadenectomy prior to radiotherapy and to an external beam pelvic dose of 50 ± 0.5 Gy versus 40 ±- 0.5 Gy. The risk of complications was not related to the dose of TVR or brachytherapy within the ranges used. Provided patients are properly selected and appropriate technical precautions are exercised, TVR is a safe technique. It is effective in controlling bleeding and shrinking large exophytic tumors, and very likely contributes to improved tumor control by facilitating optimal geometry for intracavitary therapy.
Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate Stimulates Lysophosphatidic Acid Secretion from Ovarian and Cervical Cancer Cells but Not From Breast or Leukemia Cells

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is present in ascites from patients with ovarian cancer. It stimulates calcium release and growth of ovarian cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Recently, we found that LPA levels were significantly elevated in plasma from patients with ovarian cancer and other gynecological cancers. In contrast, LPA levels were not elevated in patients with breast cancer and leukemias. In view of this, we investigated whether gynecological cancer cells could produce LPA. LPA was extracted from the supernatant of cells cultured in vitro and purified by thin layer chromatography. After hydrolysis and transmethylation, the fatty acid derivatives were analyzed by gas chromatography. We found that the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), significantly stimulated the production of LPA in ovarian and cervical cancer cells. In contrast, a small or negligible amount of LPA was produced in breast cancer and leukemia cells upon PMA stimulation. This cell type specificity correlates with our values of plasma LPA, suggesting that gynecological tumor cells may be an important source of the elevated LPA noted in the plasma of patients with these cancers. The cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2)/Ca2+-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) inhibitor, AACOCF3, inhibited 75.6% PMA-stimulated LPA secretion in ovarian cancer cells, suggesting a cPLA2/iPLA2 activity was involved in LPA production from ovarian cancer cells.