cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of available diagnostic tests for latex sensitization in an at-risk population

Abstract Background Lack of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved skin testing reagent for latex allergy in the United States requires reliance on patient history and serologic assays for diagnosis. Objective To determine the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of an FDA-cleared antilatex IgE serology test and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with various sources of latex protein antigens in an at-risk but unselected population of health care workers. Methods Health care workers underwent duplicate latex and serologic testing for latex specific IgE with the CAP assay and ELISA from June 1, 1998, through December 31, 2002. Logistic regression with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined the values, resulting in 98% and 99% specificity for the CAP assay and ELISA, respectively. Results Results of paired skin and serologic tests were available for 792 participants. Forty duplicate skin test results (5%) were positive. For the CAP assay, sensitivity was 35%; specificity, 98%; positive predictive value, 48.3%; and negative predictive value, 96.6%. ELISA demonstrated similar results. Multivariable logistic regression yielding a 98% or 99% specificity for the various ELISAs demonstrated that the adjusted odds of a positive skin test result significantly increased with positive CAP assay and ELISA results using a powdered glove extract. Conclusions The performance of the FDA-cleared antilatex IgE serologic test for latex allergy has much lower sensitivity than previously reported. This finding confirms that this serologic test should be used only for patients with a history of latex allergy and not for screening the population with a low prevalence of latex sensitization.
Impact of electron acceptor availability on the anaerobic oxidation of methane in coastal freshwater and brackish wetland sediments

Abstract Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is both produced and consumed in anoxic coastal sediments via microbial processes. Although the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is almost certainly an important process in coastal freshwater and salt marsh sediments, the factors that control the rates and pathways of AOM in these habitats are poorly understood. Here, we present the first direct measurements of AOM activity in freshwater (0 PSU) and brackish (25 PSU) wetland sediments. Despite disparate sulfate concentrations, both environments supported substantial rates of AOM. Higher sulfate reduction (SR) rates were measured in the freshwater site and SR at both sites was of sufficient magnitude to support the observed AOM activity. Laboratory incubations of freshwater and brackish tidal, wetland sediments amended with either nothing [control], sulfate, nitrate, manganese oxide (birnessite) or iron oxide (ferrihydrite) and supplied with a methane headspace were used to evaluate the impact(s) of electron acceptor availability on potential AOM rates. Maximum AOM rates in brackish slurries occurred in the sulfate amendments. In contrast, addition of sulfate and several possible electron acceptors to the freshwater slurries decreased AOM rates relative to the control. High ratios of AOM activity relative to SR activity in the nitrate, birnessite, and ferrihydrite treatments of both the brackish and freshwater slurries provided evidence of AOM decoupled from SR. This study demonstrates that both freshwater and brackish coastal wetland sediments support considerable rates of anaerobic methanotrophy and provides evidence for sulfate-independent AOM that may be coupled to nitrate, iron, or manganese reduction in both environments.
Reversal of regiospecificity in the kinetic vs. thermodynamic enolization of bicyclic ketones. Direct bridgehead functionalization of the bicyclo[5.3.1]undecane ring system

Abstract In contrast to aliphatic ketones, deprotonation of bicyclo [5.3.1] undecenone 3 gives the more highly substituted bridgehead enolate under conditions of kinetic control while the less highly substituted enolate is formed under conditions of thermodynamic control. These findings allow for the direct bridgehead functionalization of this important bicyclic skeleton.
Pineal region meningioma: Report of two cases and literature review

The case histories of two patients with pineal region meningiomas are presented. Comparable cases reported previously in the literature are reviewed. A characterization of the clinical features of this lesion is formulated and compared with the clinical appearance of patients with other types of pin
Computational analysis of human adenovirus serotype 18

The genome of the sole remaining unsequenced member of species A, human adenovirus type 18 (HAdV-A18), has been sequenced and analyzed. Members of species A are implicated as gastrointestinal pathogens and were shown to be tumorigenic in rodents. These whole genome and in silico proteome data are important as references for reexamining and integrating earlier work and observations based on lower resolution techniques, such as restriction enzyme digestion patterns, particularly for hypotheses based on pre-genomics data. Additionally, the genome of HAdV-A18 will also serve as reference for current studies examining the molecular evolution and origins of human and simian adenoviruses, particularly genome recombination studies. Applications of this virus as a potential vector for gene delivery protocols may be practical as data accumulate on this and other adenovirus genomes.
Women Physicians and the Gendered System of Professions: An Analysis of the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921

This is a textual investigation of the battle between the American Medical Association and the American Medical Women's Association over the 1921 Act for the Promotion of the Welfare and Hygiene of Maternity and Infancy—popularly called the Sheppard-Towner Act. Based on the rhetorical debate between these two groups as revealed in their respective medical journals, the author outlines how the trajectory, content, and demise of Sheppard-Towner were fundamentally structured by gendered intra- and interprofessional struggles among physicians, midwives, nurses, and social workers. By analyzing Sheppard-Towner within Abbott's (1988) system of professions, the author demonstrates how gender shapes the boundaries of jurisdictional disputes. More specifically, the author demonstrates how gender alliances and gender fractures between and among professions not only account for the rise and fall of Sheppard-Towner, but are part and parcel of the histories of professionalization projects generally.
Non-neuronal cell conditioned medium stimulates peptidergic expression in sympathetic and sensory neurons in vitro.

Abstract Regulation of peptide neurotransmitter metabolism was examined in dissociated cell cultures of neonatal rat sympathetic and sensory ganglia. Previous studies have shown that pineal gland conditioned medium (PCM) influences substance P (SP) and somatostatin (SS) metabolism in sympathetic neurons in vitro. The present study examines mechanisms mediating these effects, and compares the actions of PCM on sympathetic and sensory neurons. PCM treatment increased SP levels in a dose-dependent manner without altering SS content of sympathetic neurons cultured in the presence of ganglion non-neuronal cells. Conversely, treatment of pure sympathetic neuron cultures resulted in a dose-dependent increase in SS, while SP was virtually undetectable at all doses. By contrast, dorsal root ganglion, trigeminal ganglion, and nodose ganglion sensory neurons contained SP both in the presence and absence of ganglion non-neuronal cells. Moreover, in each of these neuronal populations treatment with PCM increased SP levels both in the presence and in the absence of ganglion non-neuronal cells. These observations suggest that ganglion non-neuronal cells are necessary for sympathetic but not sensory neuron expression of SP. Moreover, PCM apparently stimulates SP in neurons which already contain the peptide, but the factor cannot foster de novo expression of the phenotype. PCM also influenced other transmitter traits in sympathetic neurons, suggesting linkage between mechanisms regulating peptides and other transmitters. In cultures containing both sympathetic neurons and non-neuronal cells, PCM treatment increased cholineacetyltransferase (CHAC) activity as well as SP, and decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TOH) activity. By contrast, PCM treatment of pure sympathetic neuron cultures led to parallel increases in SS and TOH activity with negligible levels of SP and CHAC. These observations suggest that in sympathetic neurons, SS may be linked with noradrenergic expression, while SP is associated with cholinergic development, although more data are required to confirm this relationship. Moreover, there may be a reciprocal relationship between SP and SS expression by sympathetic neurons analogous to previous observations regarding cholinergic-noradrenergic expression (P. H. Patterson and L. L. Y. Chun, Proc. Nutl. Acad. Sci. USA 71, 3607–3610, 1974; Dev. Biol. 56, 263–280, 1977). Consequently, neurotransmitter phenotypic expression is a complex process in which the environment regulates a balance among multiple transmitters.
Participation in Extracurricular Activities in the Middle School Years: Are There Developmental Benefits for African American and European American Youth?

In this study, we examined the associations between organized activity participation during early adolescence and adjustment in a large and economically diverse sample of African American and European American youth. The sample included 1,047 youth (51% female and 49% male and 67% African American and 33% European American). We used analysis of covariance techniques to examine links between participation in 8th grade school clubs, school sports teams, and out of school recreational activities and adjustment at 8th and 11th grade, controlling for a set of self-selection factors measured at 7th grade prior to activity involvement. Organized activity participation was associated with higher than expected grades, school value (i.e. perception of importance of school for the future), self-esteem, resiliency, and prosocial peers, and lower than expected risky behavior, though the pattern of findings differed by activity context, outcome, and time point. In a few of the models, the relation between activity participation and adjustment varied by gender, race, and socioeconomic status.
Candidates for the inflaton field in superstring models.

We consider the flat directions of the potential that play a crucial role in the four-dimensional supersymmetric models that are believed to emerge from the compactification of superstring theories and study the possibility that they give rise to an inflationary scenario. None of the scalar fields present in these models---in particular the dilaton field connected with supersymmetry breaking and the SU(5)-singlet scalars in the matter sector---seem, however, to be good candidates for the inflaton, the scalar field whose cosmological evolution leads to an inflationary expansion of the Universe.
Incretin-based therapies: focus on effects beyond glycemic control alone.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with a high prevalence of comorbidities resulting from hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Inadequate management of these risk factors will eventually result in detrimental health consequences. Thus, the effect of a drug on factors such as weight, cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, and adherence is important to consider. A review was undertaken of the recent medical literature describing the extraglycemic characteristics of the two classes of incretin-based therapies—glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. PubMed searches were performed to identify published data on incretin therapies that describe their effects on CV risk factors, CV events, and factors related to medication adherence. The maintenance or loss of weight associated with the use of GLP-1RAs and DPP-4 inhibitors is well described in the medical literature. These agents also appear to be associated with a modest decrease in blood pressure and a reduced risk of CV events. In addition, several characteristics of incretin therapies may improve rates of medication adherence, such as generally favorable tolerability profiles (particularly with DPP-4 inhibitors), the availability of formulations that simplify treatment regimens, and a low risk for hypoglycemia. The literature on incretin therapies describes a number of clinical characteristics that are relevant to the management of extraglycemic risk factors. As part of a holistic treatment strategy, these properties constitute important considerations for tailoring therapy to individual patients with type 2 diabetes.
Modeling Lithium Movement over Multiple Cycles in a Lithium-Metal Battery

This paper builds on the work by Ferrese et al. [J. Electrochem., 159, A1615 (2012)], where a model of a lithium-metal battery with a LiyCoO2 positive electrode was created in order to predict the movement of lithium in the negative electrode along the negative electrode/separator interface during cell cycling. In this paper, the model is expanded to study the movement of lithium along the lithium-metal anode over multiple cycles. From this model, it is found that when a low percentage of lithium at the negative electrode is utilized, the movement of lithium along the negative electrode/separator interface reaches a quasi steady state after multiple cycles. This steady state is affected by the slope of the open-circuit-potential function in the positive electrode, the rate of charge and discharge, the depth of discharge, and the length of the rest periods. However, when a high percent of the lithium at the negative electrode is utilized during cycling, the movement does not reach a steady state and pinching can occur, where the lithium nearest the negative tab becomes progressively thinner after cycling. This is another nonlinearity that leads to a progression of the movement of lithium over multiple cycles. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society.
Correction of geometric and refractive image distortions in optical coherence tomography applying Fermat’s principle

We describe a methodology for quantitative image correction in OCT which includes procedures for correction of nonlinear axial scanning and non-telecentric scan patterns, as well as a novel approach for refraction correction in layered media based on Fermat’s principle. The residual spatial error obtained in layered media with a fan-beam hand-held probe was reduced from several hundred micrometers to near the diffraction and coherence-length limits.
Combating opportunistic infections: coccidioidomycosis

Coccidioidomycosis is a growing problem in the southwestern US. Although most cases of symptomatic coccidioidomycosis occur in healthy individuals, individuals with depressed cellular immunity are at particular risk. These include individuals with HIV infection, those who have undergone allogeneic transplantation and others on immunosuppressive medications. Most instances of primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis do not require antifungal therapy. However, almost all cases of disseminated coccidioidomycosis will require such therapy. The triazole antifungals, fluconazole and itraconazole, are effective therapies for coccidioidomycosis. Amphotericin B is now reserved for severe or recalcitrant cases. Coccidioidal meningitis requires lifelong therapy with triazole antifungals. Intrathecal amphotericin B is required for those cases that fail. Prevention of coccidioidomycosis by environmental control is difficult. In the future, immunisation or immune modulation may offer protection.
Evidence of apical oxygen in artificially superconducting SrCuO 2 - BaCuO 2 thin films: A Raman characterization

The artificially layered superlattices, ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{\mathit{n}}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2+\mathit{n}}$${\mathrm{O}}_{4+2\mathit{n}+\mathit{x}}$ (n=0,1,2,3) have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Raman frequency shifts were observed in the n=2 and n=3 films, while no vibrational modes were observed in the n=0 and n=1 films. The crystalline structures of the n=0 and n=1 films have an infinite-layered structure. The Raman peaks located at 604 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ in the n=2 film and at 587 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ in the n=3 film can be assigned to the apical oxygen vibration along the c axis. These observations indicate films with compositions n=2 and n=3 are superlattice structures with a Ba-O sublattice. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Copper and zinc distribution in the liver and oviduct of estrogen- and testosterone-treated hens (Gallus domesticus)

Abstract Sexually immature (12 weeks-of-age) and mature (22 weeks-of-age) hens were randomly assigned to one of three hormone treatments (control, 17β-estradiol, or testosterone) in a 2×3 factorial arrangement to determine the effects of exogenous estrogen and testosterone on hepatic intracellular distribution of copper and zinc. Hormone treatments were administered in subcutaneous polydimethylsiloxane implants for five weeks. Plasma copper concentrations were higher (P 150,000 and 10,000 daltons in mature hens, but little difference in protein copper content was observed between ages. Whole oviduct copper concentrations in mature control hens were greater than in any other treatment. These results suggest that at sexual maturity in the hen, alterations in copper and zinc distribution and metabolism occur which differ somewhat from the age-related changes observed in mammals. Such shifts may reflect an increased requirement for copper or zinc in egg formation and reproduction.
Applications of complete reconstruction of multi-particle final states in fusion-evaporation reactions using a 4π detector

Abstract Measurement of the energies and directions of one or more charged particles emitted in a fusion-evaporation reaction permits the excitation energy of the remaining system of nucleons to be calculated. The measured excitation energy is strongly linked to the probability that additional particles will be evaporated. Observation of γ-rays in coincidence with the charged particles and forming a two-dimensional matrix of excitation energy vs E γ is thus useful for identifying the reaction channel associated with unknown γ-rays. Here we apply this method to the identification of in-beam γ-rays in 85 Zr and 84 Y, resulting from the pn and 2pn reactions respectively in the 27 Al+ 60 Ni system. Peak-to-background enhancements approaching an order of magnitude can be obtained by selection of events using kinematical criteria derived from the analysis. In addition, we demonstrate how the charged particle angular distribution obtained with a 4π detector can be used to identify reactions on light target contaminants because of differences in kinematic focussing.
The Matrix Algebra and Color Reproduction

The color of an object is characterized by three reflection densities, measured through three primary color filters. A set of subtractive primaries is, therefore, characterized by a color matrix (c) in which the elements are the densities of unit concentrations of the primaries. The vector density which characterizes a reproduction is obtained from the vector density of the subject by operating on it with the matrix (c). Two successive reproductions are characterized by the matrix product of the two individual matrices. The character of the masking which is required for correct reproduction is determined by the inverse matrix (c−1). A method is described for appraising the results to be achieved by any scheme of partial masking, and these results are applied to successive reproductions such as are involved in reproducing a Kodachrome transparency. The method is applied to calculating the masking which is required in a reproduction to compensate for errors which are anticipated in a subsequent reproduction. The extent to which these matrix calculations are vitiated by the non-additivity of the constituent densities is discussed.
Lightweight Silent Data Corruption Detection Based on Runtime Data Analysis for HPC Applications

Next-generation supercomputers are expected to have more components and, at the same time, consume several times less energy per operation. Consequently, the number of soft errors is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. In this respect, techniques that leverage certain properties of iterative HPC applications (such as the smoothness of the evolution of a particular dataset) can be used to detect silent errors at the application level. In this paper, we present a pointwise detection model with two phases: one involving the prediction of the next expected value in the time series for each data point, and another determining a range (i.e., normal value interval) surrounding the predicted next-step value. We show that dataset correlation can be used to detect corruptions indirectly and limit the size of the data set to monitor, taking advantage of the underlying physics of the simulation. Our results show that, using our techniques, we can detect a large number of corruptions (i.e., above 90% in some cases) with 84% memory overhead, and 13.75% extra computation time.
Parasympathetic ganglia: naloxone antagonizes inhibition by leucine-enkephalin and GABA.

Abstract Synaptic transmission in parasympathetic ganglia of the cat urinary bladder was depressed by low doses (0.1–10 μg i.a.) of Leu- or Met-enkephalin but only by larger doses (10 μg-1 mg i.a.) of morphine. Naloxone blocked the depressant effects of the opiates as well as the depression produced by GABA, but did not block the depressant effects of norepinephrine. Intracellular recording revealed that Leu-enkephalin reduced EPSP-amplitude and lowered the probability of synaptically evoked firing without altering postsynaptic membrane potential or resistance. These findings suggest that enkephalinergic inhibition in bladder ganglia is mediated at least in part by a presynaptic site of action on delta opiate receptors.
Effects of a Self-Monitoring Intervention on Children With Traumatic Brain Injury

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a self-monitoring intervention on teachers’ direct behavior ratings of 3 students with traumatic brain injury. The authors used a multiple-baseline-across-participants design to evaluate the effect of the strategy on each child's classwork and classroom behavior. The self-monitoring strategy included 3 components: self-ratings, matching self-ratings and teacher ratings, and teacher feedback. Results indicated that the strategy improved performance for all three children, as well as self-monitoring accuracy. The authors discuss the implications for future research, including the need for a component analysis of self-monitoring treatments.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a New Layered Phosphate, Li2VPO6

The compound Li[sub 2]VPO[sub 6] was separated from a solidified melt in the Li/V/P/O system, and the structure was solved from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. The crystal class is orthorhombic with a space group of Pna2[sub 1], a = 10.3219(3) [angstrom], b = 4.6355(1) [angstrom], c = 8.5620(4) [angstrom], and Z = 4. In Li[sub 2]VPO[sub 6], phosphate tetrahedra and vanadate octahedra link to form layers perpendicular to the a-axis. Two different types of lithium cations are found between the sheets. An unusual feature of the structure is edge sharing between the phosphate tetrahedra and the vanadate octahedra, leading to a strained four-membered ring. Measurements of ionic conductivity were made over the temperature range 337 to 458[degrees]C. Incongruent melting of Li[sub 2]VPO[sub 6] occurs at about 545[degrees]C. 6 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.
Current Methods in Canine Pulmonary Research, Including Description of an Improved Bronchospirometry Tube

The following techniques for studying cardiopulmonary physiology in chronic closed chest canine operations have been discussed: a) chronic tracheostomy, permitting awake intubations; b) tracheal separation for bronchospirometry including a reliable new bronchospirometry tube for dogs. Unsuccessful efforts at creating cutaneous left mainstem bronchostomies have been described; c) indwelling vascular catheters, functioning up to three years; d) implantable flow meters. These methods are available to the average physiologic laboratory at this time, while telemetric techniques yielding the same information are not.
Brain Death — Too Flawed to Endure, Too Ingrained to Abandon:

The concept of brain death has become deeply ingrained in our health care system. It serves as the justification for the removal of vital organs like the heart and liver from patients who still have circulation and respiration while these organs maintain viability. On close examination, however, the concept is seen as incoherent and counterintuitive to our understandings of death. In order to abandon the concept of brain death and yet retain our practices in organ transplantation, we need to either change the definition of death or no longer maintain a commitment to the dead donor rule, which is an implicit prohibition against removing vital organs from individuals before they are declared dead. After exploring these two options, the author argues that while new definitions of death are problematic, alternatives to the dead donor rule are both ethically justifiable and potentially palatable to the public. Even so, the author concludes that neither of these approaches is likely to be adopted and that resolution will most probably come when technological advances in immunology simply make the concept of brain death obsolete.
Management of Legal Information in an International Context: A Conundrum of Challenges and Opportunities

Evolving technologies have created many exciting opportunities to increase the availability of legal information, and to facilitate the organization and publication of this information. With the globalization of almost all legal issues, increased access to primary and secondary resources in electronic format across jurisdictional lines has been a welcomed development by academics, lawyers, international business entities, and others. However, the myriad of legal systems and approaches to maintaining legislative and judicial records has led to a host of challenges in regard to coherent and efficient management of legal information. Focusing on development of legal information systems in China and the United States, this paper will open with a summary of the exciting current and emerging technological advances in legal research methodologies and in the electronic publication of cases, statutes, regulations and other critical resources. The paper will then analyze corresponding challenges, including authenticity, accuracy, currency and consistency. The analysis will include discussion of the varying quality of legal information resources proliferating in the Internet, as well as the host of issues surrounding electronic publishing of legal information by government entities and commercial enterprises. The paper will conclude with a prospective analysis of the manner in which emerging technologies can enhance knowledge management of legal information and strengthen legal systems in both common law and civil law jurisdictions.
Annular leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis is a condition characterized by necrotizing neutrophilic inflammation of small dermal blood vessels usually resulting in palpable purpuric lesions. Leukocytoclastic vasculitis may be secondary to a variety of medications and underlying disease processes, including infections, connective tissue disorders, and malignancies. We describe a patient with a monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance in whom leukocytoclastic vasculitis developed, manifested by a few prominent annular plaques on the lower extremity. The rare association between monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance and leukocytoclastic vasculitis as well as the unusual annular presentation of the disease in this patient is discussed, and the relevant literature is reviewed. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:955-7.)
Analytical solutions for fiber orientation in 2-D flows of dilute suspensions

Analytical solutions for fiber orientation in dilute solutions are presented for both 2-D planar and axisymmetric flow. The viscosity is assumed to be independent of position along the flow direction, but varies through the thickness of the mold cavity. For the particular case of a laminate of two fluids, an analytical solution is derived. Based upon the assumption that the fluid adjacent to the mold wall exhibits reduced viscosity due to non-isothermal considerations, the fluid kinematics simplify, and an analytical solution to Jeffery's orientation equation is derived. Since the fiber orientation analysis is based on Jeffery's equation, it is valid only for dilute suspensions, i.e. for fiber volume fraction < 1/(fiber aspect ratio)2. Qualitatively, the analytical results obtained provide superior correlation with experimental results, indicating that non-isothermal fluid flow may play an important role in the development of the fiber orientation distribution in the molded component.
Beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells: Effect of age and of dietary restriction

Abstract The effect of age and of dietary restriction on vascular beta-receptor sensitivity was investigated using cultured smooth muscle cells from rat aortas. The growth rate was slower in cells obtained from 36-month-old rats than in cells obtained from 24-mouth-old rats and the cells from older animals achieved lower densities. The dietary restriction did not affect growth of cells from 24-month-old rats but increased cell numbers in 36-month-old rats. The elevation of the cyclic AMP level in response to epinephrine was decreased with age. Cells from dietary restricted animals responded more to epinephrine than cells from animals of the same age fed ad libitum.
Preparation of supported carbon membranes from furfuryl alcohol by vapor deposition polymerization

Supported carbon membranes were prepared from furfuryl alcohol (FA) precursor by vapor deposition polymerization (VDP). For this purpose γ-Al_2O_3/α-Al_2O_3 or glass/α-Al_2O_3 support tubes were pretreated with an acid catalyst and exposed to FA vapors at 90°C. The tubes were then heated at 200°C to crosslink the poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFFA) polymer and carbonized slowly to 600°C. The polymerization and carbonization cycle was repeated once to improve the permeation properties. The membranes were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tested in a permeation cell with single gases (H_2, N_2, O_2, CO_2, CH_4) and with the mixture CO_2–CH_4. After the first polymerization/carbonization cycle the membranes had little selectivity for gas separations. After the second polymerization/carbonization cycle the membranes had ideal selectivities 10–13 for O_2:N_2, 80–90 for CO_2:CH_4, and 90–350 for H_2:N_2 at room temperature. The permeance was 0.6–2.5 for H_2, 0.27–0.58 for CO_2 and 0.08 for O_2, all in MPU (1 MPU=10^(−8) mol/m^2 Pa s). The permeances were sharply higher at 150°C but the selectivities were lower, e.g. one of the membranes had H2 permeance 10.6 MPU and H_2:N_2 ideal selectivity 30.
Synthesis and Characterization of Alternating Copolymers of Fluorene and Oxadiazole

Alternating copolymers of 9,9-dioctylfluorene and oxadiazole have been prepared by the tetrazole route or the Suzuki coupling reaction. In the polymers the oxadiazole units were evenly dispersed in the main chain at every one, P(F1-alt-Ox), three, P(F3-alt-Ox), or four, P(F4-alt-Ox), fluorene units. Another copolymer with an asymmetric repeat unit structure, P(F3−Ox−F1−Ox) has also been prepared for comparison. In this study, the tetrazole route has been demonstrated to offer several advantages for preparing polyoxadiazole with well-defined structures compared to other oxadiazole ring formation reactions. These advantages include: clean and fast reactions, mild reaction conditions, high yields, and high molecular masses of product. The glass transition temperature of copolymers ranged from 98 to 150 °C, and the copolymers show high thermal stability with decomposition temperatures around 430 °C. The UV−vis absorption and photoluminescence properties of all the copolymers in solutions are similar to those...
Second harmonic generation from resonantly excited arrays of gold nanoparticles

We show that second harmonic generation from lithographically prepared arrays of symmetric gold nanorods can be increased by two orders of magnitude by choosing the nanoparticle size to be resonant with the 800-nm wavelength of the 50-fs pump laser. The angular variation of the second-harmonic yield, which is defined by the pitch of the nanorod array, can be predicted using standard diffraction theory. This in turn makes it possible to bound approximately the relative contributions of dipole and quadrupole oscillations to the total second-harmonic yield; the two contributions appear to be of similar magnitude. Resonant ultrafast irradiation also changes the nanorod morphology, apparently due to surface melting and refreezing. At higher fluence, the intensity dependence of the second-harmonic yield changes from quadratic to cubic, an indication that the reshaping influences the mechanism of second-harmonic generation.
Chinese media and globalization

For more than 30 years, scholars have explored the transnational qualities and effects of Chinese media. In one of the earliest such studies, Chin-chuan Lee (1979) used case examples of Taiwan and ...
Flexible multibody dynamics based fixture-workpiece analysis model for fixturing stability

Abstract The machining force and torque exerted on a workpiece vary as the cutter moves along the tool path, therefore a dynamic approach is essential for fixturing stability analysis. This paper presents a technique to dynamically model and analyze the fixture-workpiece system subjected to time-varying machining loads. Combining the advantages of FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and nonlinear rigid body dynamics, a flexible multibody dynamic model is formulated to incorporate the overall interaction (clamping forces, machining loads, and contact friction) between flexible workpiece and compliant fixture elements. Three major parameters affecting the fixturing stability, namely the magnitude, application sequence, and placement of fixturing clamps, are analyzed. Additionally, the time dependent deformation of a flexible workpiece under clamping and machining loads is estimated. A scaled engine block with the 3–2–1 fixturing scheme subjected to face milling operation is given as an example. Comparison between the simulation result and experimental data shows a reasonable agreement.
Evaluation of spray programs containing famoxadone plus cymoxanil, acibenzolar-S-methyl, and Bacillus subtilis compared to copper sprays for management of bacterial spot on tomato

Abstract Bacterial spot caused by Xanthomonas euvesicatoria Jones et al. and Xanthomonas perforans Jones et al. is a major disease on fresh market commercial tomato in Florida. Fourteen field trials were conducted between 1999 and 2005 (10 in south Florida and four in north Florida) testing famoxadone plus cymoxanil (Tanos 50DF®, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE), Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713 (B. subtilis) (Serenade WPO® or Serenade Max®, AgraQuest, Inc., Davis, CA), and acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) (Actigard 50WG®, Syngenta Crop Protection, Greensboro, NC) at different rates and in various application programs that were combined and rotated with copper hydroxide and mancozeb for management of bacterial spot. In field applied spray treatments containing famoxadone as a component, all of the programs significantly reduced bacterial spot severity on plants compared to the untreated control plants (UTC) and 97% of the programs were equal for disease suppression conferred by the copper-mancozeb standard. In spray programs containing ASM or B. subtilis plus copper hydroxide, treated plants had significantly reduced disease compared to the UTC plants and were not different from the plants treated with the copper-mancozeb standard. Yield data from small plots was unaffected. Several of the programs which used these compounds in rotation with copper-mancozeb provided similar levels of reduction in the disease severity for bacterial spot while reducing by 50% the amount of copper applied to plants. The effect of famoxadone plus cymoxanil on the survival of Xanthomonas in vitro did not cause a significant reduction in the bacterial population and was not determined to be directly bactericidal. However, greenhouse and field testing supports disease reduction of bacterial spot on plants treated with these compounds. The products tested in these trials may be useful, alternative tools for use in an integrated management program for bacterial spot on tomato.
A Mechanism for Giant Raindrop Formation in Warm, Shallow Convective Clouds

Abstract Giant raindrops (4–8 mm diameter) have been observed recently within warm convective rainbands with depths ≤2 km off the coast of the big island of Hawaii. The presence of giant raindrops in these clouds was initially surprising since model and laboratory results support the view that collisional breakup should rapidly destroy such drops in natural clouds. A mechanism proposed by Beard et al. and others to explain the giant raindrops is that exceptionally large aerosol particles act as nuclei for very large cloud droplets near cloud base. Such rare large cloud drops then grow rapidly into giant raindrops by accretion of smaller cloud droplets in the updraft. We show here that an additional set of circumstances is required to explain the existence of giant raindrops in Hawaiian rainband clouds, one which prolongs their growth and separates them from smaller raindrops. We present data from the 1985 Joint Hawaiian Warm Rain Project that suggest that giant raindrops result when selected small raindro...
Effect of Phase Changes on Metal‐Particle Combustion Processes

This paper summarizes a series of experimental studies addressing combustion of single metal particles. Sets of free‐falling monodisperse molten metal droplets were formed at repeatable initial temperatures and velocities in a pulsed microarc discharge ignited between a cold tool cathode and a consumable wire anode. The droplets formed in oxygenated environments immediately ignited and burned, while their temperature histories were studied using optical pyrometry. Burning particles were quenched at different combustion times using techniques providing variable cooling rates. Analyses of the quenched samples were used to recover the evolution of burning particle compositions for different metals. Experiments were conducted with Al, Mg, Zr, Ti, Ta, W, Mo, Fe, and Cu particles. In addition, similar combustion experiments were carried out with boron particles produced using an oxygen‐acetylene torch melting an edge of a vibrating boron filament. Most of the combustion experiments were conducted in air, while argon–oxygen, helium–oxygen, and carbon‐dioxide environments were also used in some tests. A limited number of experiments on aluminum‐particle combustion were conducted in microgravity. The experiments were aimed at identifying correlations between the burning particle temperature and composition histories. Dissolution of oxygen and other gases was observed to occur within the burning metal, leading to phase changes coinciding with sudden changes in metal combustion regimes. Equilibrium metal–gas phase diagrams were used to interpret the experimentally observed metal combustion behavior. Based on the experimental results, an expanded mechanism of metal combustion was suggested, emphasizing reactions and phase changes occurring within the burning metal in addition to reactions occurring on and above the metal surface.
Sophistication and Insurance: Asymmetric Information, the Ability to Game the System, and Prescription Drug Insurance

In complex insurance contracts, individuals can use sophisticated strategies to avoid out-of-pocket expenses. Sophistication and expected claims are affected by similar factors, creating a systematic positive or negative correlation between them. Depending on this correlation, sophistication can lead to advantageous or adverse selection, and selection may differ between the intensive and extensive margin. Responding to sophistication, insurers may distort contracts by making them excessively simple or complex, to reduce or magnify enrollees' ability to game the system. I show two sophisticated prescription drug-related behaviors each reduce out-of-pocket prescription drug costs by half and are strongly associated with expected claims.
Immersive interfaces for building parameterized motion databases

We present new interface tools for the interactive motion modeling and construction of parameterized motion databases for virtual agents. The tools provide different forms of visual exploration of database coverage, providing an intuitive way to model and refine motions by direct demonstration.
Genetic structure of cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cingulata) populations across managed, unmanaged, and natural habitats

The cherry fruit fly (CFF), Rhagoletis cingulata Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae: Trypetini), is endemic to eastern North America and Mexico, where its primary native host is black cherry [Prunus serotina Ehrh. (Rosaceae)]. Cherry fruit fly is also a major economic pest of the fruit of cultivated sweet (Prunus aviumL.) and tart(Prunus cerasusL.)cherries.Adult CFFthat attackwildblackcherry andintroduced, domesticated cherries in commercial and abandoned orchards are active at different times of the summer, potentially generating allochronic isolation that could genetically differentiate native from sweet and tart CFF populations. Here, we test for host-related genetic differences among CFF populations in Michigan attacking cherries in managed, unmanaged, and native habitats by scoring flies for 10 microsatellite loci. Little evidence for genetic differentiation was found across the three habitats or between the northern and southern Michigan CFF populations surveyed in the study. Local gene flow between native black cherry, commercial, and abandoned orchards may therefore be sufficient to overcome seasonal differences in adult CFF activity and prevent differentiation for microsatellites not directly associated with (tightly linked to) genes affecting eclosion time. The results do not support the existence of host-associated races in CFF and imply that flies attacking native, managed, and unmanaged cherries should be considered to represent a single population for pestmanagementpurposes.
Myocardial injury in chronic aortic regurgitation: related to wall stress

We have previously shown that left ventricular (LV) shape transformation (from ellipsoid toward spherical) may modulate abnormal myocardial wall stresses occurring as a result of chronic severe aortic regurgitation (AR). If so then the extent of spherical shape change in AR may be inversely related to myocyte injury. To test this hypothesis, we compared the endocardial/epicardial antimyosin antibody uptake ratio in hearts from rabbits with early-AR and late-AR and from controls. The endocardial/epicardial antimyosin antibody activity ratio was increased in ellipsoid shaped late-AR hearts (vs control, p<.001), but not in early-AR or spherically shaped late-AR hearts. Thus, spherical shape is associated with less endocardial injury than ellipsoidal shape in the late AR LV.
An interdisciplinary community-based educational model.

The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative partnership among academia, community, and service to better meet the health care needs of underserved populations. The Center for Community Health Education, Research, and Service—a coalition of Boston education institutions, health services providers, and community agencies—was formed with a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The initial goal was to establish academic community health centers comparable to the large teaching hospitals that combine service, education, and research as the cornerstone of their mission. With faculty based in the neighborhood health centers, students have learning opportunities to assess, plan care, and treat individuals and families using a community-based primary care model. The nature of the partnership, including the structure and process of implementation, is described. The developmental socialization of advanced practice nursing students in a community based-setting is discussed. Educational and service outcomes are identified.
Prolongation of cardiac allograft survival with intracoronary viral interleukin-10 gene transfer.

EX VIVO gene transfer has the potential to deliver biologically active molecules to either the graft itself or defined sites in the recipient, leading to the expression of molecules capable of inhibiting immune response, resulting in local modulation of immunity after grafting. The replication-deficient adenovirus (Adv) has increasingly been used as a vehicle for gene delivery due to its high level of transfectability to target cells, regardless of the cell cycle, and also due to its high viral titers. Recent studies have shown that IL-10 inhibits monocyte production of IL-12, an important cytokine for Th1 cell differentiation and cellmediated immunity. Viral IL-10 (vIL-10), a product encoded by Epstein–Barr virus, is structurally homologous to murine and human IL-10, and shares many of their biological properties. In this study, we evaluated the use of adenoviral vector encoding vIL-10 in a major histoincompatible rat heterotopic cardiac transplant model to examine the effect of transfected vIL-10 in prolongation of allograft survival.
Prediction of pronunciation variations for speech synthesis: a data-driven approach

The fact that speakers vary pronunciations of the same word within their own speech is well known, but little has been done to categorize and predict a speaker's pronunciation distribution automatically for unit selection speech synthesis. Recent work demonstrated how to identify automatically a speaker's choice between full and reduced pronunciations using acoustic modeling techniques from speech recognition. We extend this approach and show how its results can be used to predict a speaker's choice of pronunciations for synthesis. We apply machine learning techniques to the automatically categorized data to produce a pronunciation variation prediction model given only the utterance text - allowing the system to synthesize novel phrases with variations like those the speaker would make. Empirical studies emphasize that we can improve automatic pronunciation labels and successfully utilize the results for prediction of future synthesized examples. The prediction results based on these automatic labels are very similar to those trained from human labeled data - allowing us to reduce manual effort while still achieving comparable results.