cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Artificial insemination with frozen spermatozoa.

Frozen human semen are used for artificial insemination storage of desired genetic characteristics for studies in vitro fertilization and for biomedical purposes among other things. Conception rate is from 50-60% compared with 70-75% for fresh semen. A major problem in freezing human semen is the lack of an ideal cryoprotective medium. The freezing-thawing process produces cellular changes (leakage of enzymes from the acrosome area loss of adenosine triphosphate due to midpiece damage) and also affects the motility of sperms. It is important to culture ejaculates for sperm freezing because of the risk of gonorrhea transfer (Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been found in semen samples). Precaution should also be taken not to mix the husbands semen with donors semen as this can be detrimental to conception. Sperm banking has not been widely accepted by both public and physicians due to lack of interest cost of maintaining frozen semen and lower conception rates. Further research on proper timing of various stages of freezing physics of low temperature biochemical changes and physiology of germ cells as related to cryobiology better methods of cryopreservation and long-term studies on the offsprings from frozen gametes to assure lack of subsequent genetic damage should be undertaken.
Accessing Pincer Bis(carbene) Ni(IV) Complexes from Ni(II) via Halogen and Halogen Surrogates

This communication describes the two-electron oxidation of (DIPPCCC)NiX (DIPPCCC = bis(diisopropylphenyl-benzimidazol-2-ylidene)phenyl); X = Cl or Br) with halogen and halogen surrogates to form (DIPPCCC)NiX3. These complexes represent a rare oxidation state of nickel, as well as an unprecedented reaction pathway to access these species through Br2 and halogen surrogate (benzyltrimethylammonium tribromide). The NiIV complexes have been characterized by a suite of spectroscopic techniques and can readily reduce to the NiII counterpart, allowing for cycling between the NiII/NiIV oxidation states.
Advanced and high-order numerical discretization methods for large-eddy simulation that maximize subgrid-scale model resolution

We present a new family of discretization methods designed for efficient and enhanced resolution of the subgrid-scale model contribution term in the governing equations of large-eddy simulation (LES). The new numerical discretization family overcomes some of the difficulties experienced in LES where very high-order of accuracy or extreme cutoff-to-grid resolution separation is required to achieve convergence of the turbulence statistics. The new method employs bilinear stencils of high-order of accuracy, but with compact or narrowband support, to discretize second-order derivatives with variable coefficients, such as those present in the Smagorinsky model; with fixed or dynamic coefficient. The new method is discretely conservative, preserves invariance properties of second-order elliptic operators, and it is optimized for bandwidth resolution. Actual LES results of homogeneous turbulence at high Reynolds numbers confirm that the error in the statistics can be made extremely small with the new discretization. In addition, the extension of the discretization approach to wall-bounded flows will be discussed and their performance in high-order stress closures will be presented.
Phase II trial of acivicin in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.

Twenty-four evaluable patients with epithelial ovarian cancer resistant to primary therapy, or relapsing after response to initial therapy, were treated with acivicin utilizing a daily \xs 5 schedule. One patient achieved a partial response lasting five months; the remaining 23 patients showed no objective response. Profound and dose-limiting neurological toxicity was seen in 11 patients. Acivicin is inactive in patients with previously treated ovarian cancer and has a poor therapeutic index due to neurologic adverse effects in this patient population. The profound neurotoxicity may be related to prior therapy with cisplatin, to protein binding in ascitic fluid accumulations or to yet undefined parameters.
Oral labetalol compared to oral nifedipine for postpartum hypertension: A randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACTObjective: To determine whether oral labetalol is associated with a shorter time to blood pressure control compared to oral extended release nifedipine for management of persistent postpartum hypertension. Study Design: This randomized controlled trial conducted between June 2014 and June 2015 included women who delivered at ≥32 weeks’ gestation with persistent postpartum hypertension (sustained blood pressure ≥150/100 mmHg) requiring an oral antihypertensive agent. We included women with gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or chronic hypertension not previously on medication. Women were randomized to labetalol or nifedipine, and the allocated study drug was incrementally increased to achieve blood pressure control. The primary outcome was time to sustained blood pressure control defined as the absence of severe hypertension for at least 12 hours. Secondary outcomes included postpartum length of stay, need for increased dosing, need for additional oral antihypertensive agents, and patient repo...
Quantifying the influence of local load redistribution attack on power supply adequacy

With the broader deployment of cyber technologies in electric power systems, the envisioned cyber-physical smart grid will be more vulnerable to malicious cyber attacks including local load redistribution (LR) attack which can affect the outcome of state estimation. It is crucial to evaluate the potential impact of local LR attacks on the power system adequacy in a long time span for the next-generation power grid. In this study, the local LR attack is mathematically modeled as a bilevel optimization problem. The long-term occurrence frequency of local LR attacks is represented by the power law distribution. Considering the difficulty and consequence of each attack region, probability of choosing the valid attack region is calculated. A holistic framework for incorporating the local LR attack into the conventional power system adequacy assessment is proposed. Simulations are conducted based on a modified IEEE 14-bus system. Simulation results demonstrated that the impact of local LR attacks on power system adequacy should not be neglected if such attacks occur frequently in the future.
Early stabilizing feature importance for TensorFlow deep neural networks

Feature importance is the process where the individual elements of a machine learning model's feature vector are ranked on their relative importance to the accuracy of that model. Some feature ranking algorithms are specific to a single model type, such as Garson and Goh's neural network weight-based feature ranking algorithm. Other feature ranking algorithms are model agnostic, such as Brieman's perturbation feature ranking algorithm. This paper provides implementations for both the neural network weight-based and perturbation feature ranking algorithms for Google's TensorFlow Deep Learning framework. Additionally, this paper introduces a novel hybrid approach of these two feature ranking algorithms that produces a stable ranking of features earlier in the training epochs of a deep neural network. Earlier stabilization of feature rank can save considerable compute cycles during model searches and feature engineering where many representations of the feature vector must be compared. This paper demonstrates all three algorithms by empirically showing that the introduced hybrid weight perturbation algorithms achieves earlier stability than the established algorithms.
Styryl BODIPY Derivatives as Contrast Agents for In Vivo Photoacoustic Imaging

We report synthesis and characterization of BODIPY inspired molecular systems as photoacoustic contrast agents. Chemical modification of pristine BODIPY provided amplified photoacoustic response in the NIR biologically transparent region.
‘Hot Joints’ infection protocol reduces unnecessary post-operative re-admissions following total hip and knee arthroplasty

Aims To evaluate the effectiveness of an institutionally developed algorithm for evaluation and diagnosis of prosthetic joint injection and to determine the impact of this protocol on overall hospital re-admissions.p Patients and Methods We retrospectively evaluated 2685 total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients prior to (1263) and following (1422) the introduction of an infection detection protocol. The protocol used conservative thresholds for C-reactive protein to direct the medical attendant to aspirate the joint. The protocol incorporated a clear set of laboratory and clinical criteria that allowed a patient to be discharged home if all were met. Patients were included if they presented to our emergency department within 120 days post-operatively with concerns for swelling, pain or infection and were excluded if they had an unambiguous infection or if their chief complaint was non-orthopaedic in nature. Results Concern for infection was the single most common (32%) reason for presentation. A total of 296 patients made an emergency visit and were included following THA or TKA. In the pre-protocol cohort, 11 of 27 patients were formally re-admitted to the hospital with concern for infection but only five (45%) patients had actual infections and received additional treatment. In comparison, in the post-protocol cohort, 11 patients were admitted for suspected infection, nine (82%) of whom were truly infected (p = 0.04). Sensitivity increased from 83% to 100% and specificity increased from 71% to 96%. Implementation of this protocol did not miss any infections. Conclusion A standardised protocol for evaluation of THA and TKA infections significantly reduced unnecessary hospital re-admissions. The protocol was both sensitive and specific and did not compromise quality of care. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1603–10.
Labor Law Reform and Organized Labor: A Comparative Historical Sociology of Unanticipated Outcomes:

This article provides a comparative historical examination of the unanticipated consequences of labor law reforms in capitalist democracies during the twentieth century. The study of unexpected eff...
Electrostatic Assist of Liquid Transfer between Flat Surfaces.

Transfer of liquid from one surface to another plays a vital role in printing processes. During liquid transfer, a liquid bridge is formed and subjected to substantial extension but incomplete liquid transfer can produce defects that are detrimental to the operation of printed electronic devices. One strategy for minimizing these defects is to apply an electric field, a technique known as electrostatic assist (ESA). However, the physical mechanisms underlying ESA remain a mystery. To better understand these mechanisms, slender-jet models are developed for both perfect dielectric and leaky dielectric axisymmetric Newtonian liquid bridges with moving contact lines. Nonlinear partial differential equations describing the evolution of the bridge radius and interfacial charge are derived and then solved using finite element methods. For perfect dielectrics, application of an electric field enhances liquid transfer to the more wettable surface over a wide range of capillary numbers. The electric field modifies ...
Behavioral Pharmacology of Cocaine

The behavioral pharmacological characteristics of cocaine have been investigated in nonhumans and humans for several decades. Various experimental approaches have been utilized to explore the physiological, subjective, behavioral, and psychological effects of cocaine. This chapter reviews findings regarding the behavioral pharmacology of cocaine use encompassing data from both animal and human laboratory studies. The first two sections provide an overview of the pharmacological actions of cocaine and the patterns of cocaine abuse. The next three sections review select studies characterizing (1) the subjective effects of cocaine in humans, (2) the discriminative stimulus properties of cocaine, and (3) the reinforcing properties of cocaine assessed using the drug self-administration paradigm. Preclinical drug-discrimination and self-administration studies of cocaine are abundant and a complete review of these studies is beyond the scope of this chapter. Thus, preclinical data will be synthesized to illustrate principal findings and more detailed analysis of the results from studies with humans, when available, will be provided.
Determinations of Gas-Phase Organic Ion Structures

Selected ion structure investigations are reviewed in this paper. The investigations illustrate the use of a variety of instrumental techniques, which include ICR mass spectrometry and several types of ion decomposition analyses, including unimolecular, collision induced and photo induced reactions. The isomeric ion systems described are C3H6O.+, C3H6O2.+, C2H5O+, C2H2O-, C7H8 + andC6H6O.+. In addition, investigations of the C3H6.+, C3H5O+, C6H6.+, C8H8.+ and C4H6.+ structures have been carried out with a newer technique in which ions are derivatized in the gas phase and the ionic derivatives are analyzed by collision induced dissociation spectrometry.
Maternal birth weight breeding value as an additional factor to predict calf birth weight in beef cattle.

A total of 1,028 birth weight (BWT) and gestation length (GL) records were collected for calves from 1994 to 1997 in five U.S. Angus herds. Parental BWT EPD and dam BWT maternal breeding values (MBV) computed from the entire U.S. Angus data base after each breeding season were also available. A full model was fit to BWT that contained contemporary group (CG), sire BWT EPD, dam BWT EPD, and dam BWT MBV. A reduced model that dropped dam BWT MBV was also fit. The full model had smaller (P or = .75 or > or = 1.0 SD above the mean of sires in the data set. Adjusted birth weights were assigned to either > or = .75 or other or = 1.0 or or =2 .75 or or = 1.0 or or = .75 or > or = 1.0 SD and low was .05) from each other; however, the LL category was less (P < .05) than all other categories, indicating that calves from LL dams were lighter at birth than expected. For GL, LL was significantly different (P < .05) from only HH. The large differences in birth weight for the LL dams compared to other groups did not seem to be primarily due to shorter GL. Results showed that MBV provided additional information to control BWT; however, when both dam MBV and EPD were low, birth weight of calves was less than expected. Future research should focus on explanations for this interaction.
Cluster-status migrainosus with a weekly periodicity responsive to high-flow oxygen: A case report.

BackgroundThere are cases in the headache literature described as “cluster-migraine,” but none of stereotyped cases of cluster headache evolving into status migrainosus. We believe this is the first documented case of “cluster-status migrainosus”.CaseA 54 year-old female hospital administrator presented with headaches with a unique periodicity and semiology that were acutely responsive to high-flow oxygen. She experienced cluster headache attacks every Thursday morning at 3–4 am, which would evolve into status migrainosus lasting through Sunday evening. These attacks were preceded by prodromal depressed mood changes and fluid retention, and later followed by postdromal euphoria and auto-diuresis. These attacks initially occurred every other week and progressed to weekly attacks for 1.5 years. These headaches did not respond to trials of propanolol, sodium valproate, topiramate, amitriptyline, gabapentin, and carbamazepine for preventive treatment or to oral sumatriptan and butalbital-acetaminophen-caffein...
Introduction: Language and Culture in Mathematical Cognitive Development

Abstract In this introductory chapter, we present a brief historical review of research on the roles of language and culture in mathematical cognition, and then provide readers with a useful framework for categorizing specific linguistic levels of influence on numerical processing (e.g., lexical, semantic, and syntactic). We then describe other considerations in studying linguistic influences on mathematical cognition, such as the neural substrates of verbal, language-based representations of numerical information and the impact of bilingualism on numerical processing. With respect to the role of cultural factors that influence mathematical cognition, we briefly review many of the classic studies on this topic, and then present some purported myths of cultural psychology as a framework for discussing specific kinds of cultural factors that could potentially influence mathematical learning and achievement. We conclude by discussing the complexities associated with disentangling linguistic and cultural influences on numerical processing and development.
Role of Angio-Embolization for Renal Cell Carcinoma

To provide the technical aspects of, clinical indications for, status of the current literature on, and emerging concepts in trans-arterial embolization (TAE) for renal cell carcinoma. TAE has been evaluated in several retrospective series as a neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgical resection of RCC to reduce tumor vascularity and minimize intra-operative blood loss. TAE has also been examined retrospectively as a neoadjuvant therapy prior to the percutaneous ablation of RCC to reduce blood loss and procedural complications. TAE can potentially palliate symptoms of RCC such as pain and hematuria. Trans-arterial chemoembolization and trans-arterial radioembolization are emerging concepts for RCC. Although there have been no prospective, randomized trials demonstrating improved clinical or oncologic outcomes from TAE for patients with RCC, several retrospective studies have shown encouraging results.
O1 Use of a multi-disciplinary teaching platform for teaching paediatric prescribing

Aim We present a case study of the development of a structured, holistic, multidisciplinary prescribing teaching program for medical students in our paediatric department. The aim was to integrate theory and practise into one multidisciplinary delivered teaching session. Method Prescribing is an area that medical students consistently report as challenging with poor teaching and minimal paediatric specific prescribing teaching as an undergraduate. After collaboration with our pharmacist colleagues the agreed objective was to design a teaching session run by doctors and pharmacists together in order to more accurately simulate paediatric prescribing in clinical practice for the inpatient environment. The method was based on Blooms Taxonomy,1 starting with a pharmacist delivering teaching on the theory of paediatric prescribing. Following this, junior doctors delivered case based prescribing scenarios to allow assimilation and application of theory. At the end of the 150 minute session feedback was collected from both session facilitators and students. These were evaluated to allow for revision and improvement of the session. Results Both facilitators and students very enthusiastically received the session with phrases such as ‘amazing session thank- you!’ added to the feedback forms. Feedback was gathered from 32 students over the first 8-week cycle of the project. The majority of students stated that prior to this session they had little or no paediatric prescribing teaching. When asked the question ‘how prepared do you feel for prescribing in paediatrics?’ and asked to rank themselves from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very well) the average improved from 1.44 pre session to 3.55 post session. The feedback was consistent between sessions demonstrating no significant variation between facilitators. This highlights that the standardised, formal structure of the session allows it to be delivered by pharmacists and doctors of different grades and levels of experience without changing the success of the session for the students. Conclusion This project demonstrates that there is a significant gap in undergraduate teaching on prescribing, especially paediatric prescribing. This teaching session is low cost, produces similar feedback despite variation in facilitators between sessions, and is easily transferable to multiple inpatient areas. Our students demonstrated that after one teaching session they felt more prepared for prescribing in paediatrics and following the feedback changes have been made to the session and ongoing feedback has further improved. We propose that this style of teaching session could be used across the country for both adult and paediatric prescribing undergraduate teaching sessions. We aim to compare our session with other universities approaches to prescribing teaching and establish whether this is a national area that requires focused educational attention. Reference Bloom BS. Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals 1956.
The Journalism of Roy Wilkins and the Rise of Law-and-Order Rhetoric, 1964–1968

In late 1964, NAACP Executive Director Roy Wilkins became the first African American newspaper columnist syndicated widely in the white, mainstream press. This study looks at how Wilkins used his n...
A Motivational Theory of Network Formation, Change, and Structuring

Drawing on the self-regulation and brokerage literatures, we develop theory to help explain individuals’ motivation to form, manipulate, and configure their social network relationships. Research o...
Dynamics of the Diurnal Warm Layer: Surface Jet, High-Frequency Internal Waves, and Mixing

AbstractEvolution of a thermally-stratified diurnal warm layer (DWL), including the formation and decay of a daytime surface-layer jet, high-frequency internal waves and mixing were examined from o...
Marcus Gunn jaw winking syndrome in a 6-year-old boy: a new observation

We report the case of a 6-year-old boy with bilateral Marcus Gunn jaw winking syndrome with a left hypotropia in primary gaze that decreased in magnitude during jaw thrust to the contralateral side. To our knowledge, this is a new observation with regard to the ocular motility disturbances in this syndrome.
Conormal varieties on the cominuscule Grassmannian-II

Let $$X_w$$ be a Schubert subvariety of a cominuscule Grassmannian X, and let $$\mu :T^*X\rightarrow {\mathcal {N}}$$ be the Springer map from the cotangent bundle of X to the nilpotent cone $${\mathcal {N}}$$ . In this paper, we construct a resolution of singularities for the conormal variety $$T^*_XX_w$$ of $$X_w$$ in X. Further, for X the usual or symplectic Grassmannian, we compute a system of equations defining $$T^*_XX_w$$ as a subvariety of the cotangent bundle $$T^*X$$ set-theoretically. This also yields a system of defining equations for the corresponding orbital varieties $$\mu (T^*_XX_w)$$ . Inspired by the system of defining equations, we conjecture a type-independent equality, namely $$T^*_XX_w=\pi ^{-1}(X_w)\cap \mu ^{-1}(\mu (T^*_XX_w))$$ . The set-theoretic version of this conjecture follows from this work and previous work for any cominuscule Grassmannian of type A, B, or C.
Artificial intelligence-based radiotherapy machine parameter optimization using reinforcement learning

PURPOSE To develop and evaluate a volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) machine parameter optimization (MPO) approach based on deep-Q reinforcement learning (RL) capable of finding an optimal machine control policy using previous prostate cancer patient CT scans and contours, and applying the policy to new cases to rapidly produce deliverable VMAT plans in a simplified beam model. METHODS A convolutional deep-Q network was employed to control the dose rate and multileaf collimator of a C-arm linear accelerator model using the current dose distribution and machine parameter state as input. A Q-value was defined as the discounted cumulative cost based on dose objectives, and experience-replay RL was performed to determine a policy to minimize the Q-value. A two-dimensional network design was employed which optimized each opposing leaf pair independently while monitoring the corresponding dose plane blocked by those leaves. This RL approach was applied to CT and contours from 40 retrospective prostate cancer patients. The dataset was split into training (15 patients) and validation (5 patients) groups to optimize the network, and its performance was tested in an independent cohort of 20 patients by comparing RL-based dose distributions to conformal arcs and clinical intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) delivering a prescription dose of 78 Gy in 40 fractions. RESULTS Mean ± SD execution time of the RL VMAT optimization was 1.5 ± 0.2 s per slice. In the test cohort, mean ± SD (P-value) planning target volume (PTV), bladder, and rectum dose were 80.5 ± 2.0 Gy (P < 0.001), 44.2 ± 14.6 Gy (P < 0.001), and 43.7 ± 11.1 Gy (P < 0.001) for RL VMAT compared to 81.6 ± 1.1 Gy, 51.6 ± 12.9 Gy, and 36.0 ± 12.3 Gy for clinical IMRT. CONCLUSIONS RL was applied to VMAT MPO using clinical patient contours without independently optimized treatment plans for training and achieved comparable target and normal tissue dose to clinical plans despite the application of a relatively simple network design originally developed for video-game control. These results suggest that extending a RL approach to a full three-dimensional beam model could enable rapid artificial intelligence-based optimization of deliverable treatment plans, reducing the time required for radiotherapy planning without requiring previous plans for training.
Changing Gears to Meet the 'New Normal' in Legal Education

The course of legal education is changing. Many law schools are downsizing, accepting classes with lower entering credentials, and encountering a new demographic of law student. A product of standardized federal education policies like the No Child Left Behind Act and the Common Core State Standards Initiative, this student has fewer or less refined critical thinking skills than most first-year law professors have come to expect. Part I of this Article explores the landscape of this “new normal” in legal education, examining the effects of new law school admissions policies, changes in K-12 and undergraduate education, and the link between law student entering credentials and critical thinking skills. Part II suggests ways in which law schools might change gears to ensure the success of these new law students and of the law schools themselves. Among other things, it emphasizes the importance of addressing both the current economic structure of law schools and the need for major curricular reform that creates more opportunities for student assessment. Part III explores the positive outcomes likely to result from a timely, smooth shift to this new approach in legal education.
Colleague Crowdsourcing: A Method for Fostering National Student Engagement and Large-N Data Collection

Scholars often rely on student samples from their own campuses to study political behavior, but some studies require larger and more diverse samples than any single campus can provide. In our case, we wanted to study the real-time effects of presidential debates on individual-level attitudes, and we sought a large sample with diversity across covariates such as ideology and race. To address this challenge, we recruited college students across the country through a process we call “colleague crowdsourcing.” As an incentive for colleagues to encourage their students to participate, we offered teaching resources and next-day data summaries. Crowdsourcing provided data from a larger and more diverse sample than would be possible using a standard, single-campus subject pool. Furthermore, this approach provided classroom resources for faculty and opportunities for active learning. We present colleague crowdsourcing as a possible model for future research and offer suggestions for application in varying contexts.
PCR meets GMR – integrated biosensors for POCT

Magnetic detection in PCR relies on giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors whose resistance depends on the magnetic field. Thus, a bound sample that is also bound to a magnetic nanoparticle can be detected magnetically because of the effect of the magnetic nanoparticle on the nearby magnetic field. However, the resistance of GMR sensors also depends on their temperature, posing a unique challenge to the integration of PCR with GMR sensors on a single chip. Here we report accurate control and measurement of temperature in GMR detection for PCR assays and multiplexed DNA biomarker detection for point of care testing (POCT). In particular, GMR biosensors integrated with PCR are extremely promising as a POCT for therapy monitoring of lung cancer management.
Telemedicine and Technology

Telemedicine is a new approach to the clinical application of medical knowledge. It is a novel method that aims to provide easy accessibility to specialty care. This chapter discusses various technologies available and the advantages, limitation, and application for such an encounter.
A Natural Experiment: Results of Community-Designed Park Improvements on Park Use and Physical Activity.

The objective of this study was to assess if built environment changes to two suburban parks that involved extensive community engagement and physical activity programming increased park use and ph...
Perceptions of land managers towards using hybrid and genetically modified trees

Hybridization and genetic modification are potential methods for incorporation of stress tolerance being explored to support some at-risk tree species. However, many concerns, both ecological and economic, have been identified in using these biotechnologies, such as potential for invasiveness or high cost. There is limited information on perceptions towards hybrid and genetically modified (GM) trees, particularly from individuals responsible for widescale tree management. An online survey was administered to land managers in Indiana, USA to gauge perceptions to hybrid and GM trees, and current hybrid tree use. Land managers had stronger concern for ecological, rather than economic, issues, with potential for invasiveness being strongest. Agreement was highest for using the tree types for conservation and restoration of at-risk species and production purposes. However, perceptions varied by characteristics such as concern type, age, and land type managed. Ecological concern and land type managed most strongly predicted hybrid use. Overall, the majority of land managers agreed, rather than disagreed, with a variety of potential hybrid and GM tree advantages and purposes. Thus, results indicate that if these biotechnologies are deemed appropriate for supporting at-risk species, the majority of land managers in Indiana might be agreeable to such recommendations from researchers. However, it was also clear that despite this, most respondents concurrently had strong ecological concerns about suitability as a native species replacement. To address this, it is essential that these tree types be thoroughly vetted, and land managers be actively engaged in the process, as this population would ultimately be responsible for any widescale implementation of hybrid and GM trees.
Last Look at the Lex

The closing of The Lexington, San Francisco’s last lesbian bar, is discussed as part of a collection of essays that examine sexuality and gender in San Francisco at a moment when economic forces have changed the urban landscape.
Stochastic Differentiation - A Generalized Approach

The space (D*) of Wiener distributions allows a natural Pettis-type stochastic calculus. For a certain class of generalized multiparameter processes X: ℝ N → (D*) we prove several differentiation rules (Ito formulas); these processes can be anticipating. We then apply these rules to some examples of square integrable Wiener functionals and look at the integral versions of the resulting formulas.
13. Optical Properties of Materials

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the optical properties of materials. Precise knowledge of the optical properties of materials is required in order to describe anything involving the interaction of radiation with matter. This includes predicting or modeling the behavior of an optical element, such as mirror reflectivity, filter transmission, detector response, diffraction grating efficiency, and multilayer reflectivity. The optical properties of materials in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) through the x-ray regions are discussed. First, the classical model of the electromagnetic response of free electrons is reviewed. The atomic scattering factor is defined, which may be used to calculate material optical constants. The propagation of a wave within an absorbing material is reviewed. The reflection and transmission of radiation from a boundary are also summarized. The optical properties of a material in the visible region through much of the VUV region are strongly influenced by chemical state or band structure. The chapter presents the reflection and transmission of a wave incident on the boundary between two materials, and discusses the Fresnel equations for the reflection and transmission coefficients. The important features of the optical properties of materials can be seen from the classical response of an electron in an oscillating electric field E. This is the Drude model.
2011 SRSA Fellows Address: Advancement of Knowledge: A Journey through Space and Time

Presumably, advancement of knowledge is a primary goal of virtually all “academic” scholars, whether from universities, government agencies, or elsewhere. Likewise, a primary function of academic organizations, such as the Southern Regional Science Association and Regional Science Association International, is to enable scholarly interaction that supports this goal of advancing knowledge. This paper focuses on two important aspects of advancement of knowledge as they relate to the regional science community and its scholarly organizations. The first, interdisciplinary interaction, has always been a key attraction to regional science, but a characteristic that has weakened in recent times. Especially given the nature of many issues studied in regional science, it is important to recommit to expanding the interdisciplinary reach of the discipline. The second, mentoring and supporting development of scholars, especially young scholars, continues to be a strength of the regional science discipline. We must make sure that this characteristic gets passed on to future generations of regional science scholars.
Mouse model of pulmonary disease after aerosol infection with mycobacterium xenopi

Rationale: Opportunistic respiratory infections due to M. xenopi are on the rise in industrialized countries and current therapies are inadequate. Only two experimental studies with the beige and Swiss mouse models iv-infected have been performed so far. As aerosol inhalation is the probable route of infection in humans, we hypothesized that aerosol infection of mice would better recapitulate human infection and permit better assessment of the response to antibiotic treatment. Our first objective was to determine which strain of mice was the most susceptible to aerosol infection. Methods: Four strains of mice were tested: BALB/c, C57Bl/6, Beige, and athymic nu/nu (Nude). For each strain, thirty 6-week-old females were simultaneously aerosol infected with 4.7 log10 of M. xenopi ATCC # 19971. At 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12 and 23 weeks post-infection, three mice per group were sacrificed for gross lung lesions, spleen weight, and lung and spleen CFU counts. From week 4 to 12, 9 mice of each group were treated with clarithromycin 100 mg/kg/d 5 days a week. Three treated mice per group were sacrificed at week 8 and 12. Results: In BALB/c, C57Bl/6, Beige and Nude mice infected with M. xenopi , the lung CFU counts steadily increased to reach 5.57, 5.92, 5.99, and 5.75 log10, respectively at week 4; 6.35, 6.72, 6.60 and 6.93 log10, respectively at week 8; 6.51, 6.43, 7.69, and 6.63 log10, respectively at week 12; and 6.59, 6.72, 8.16, 7.32 log10, respectively at week 2. In all mice, M. xenopi disseminated to the spleen. Clarithromycin treatment reduced significantly, by 2 log10, the lung CFU counts in all strains of mice. Conclusion: Nude mice were the most susceptible to aerosolized M.xenopi infection.
Polarization dependence of two-photon excitation spectra in the 8S7/2 → 6P7/2, 6P5/2 and 6P3/2 transition regions of Gd3+ in Na3[Gd(C4H4O5)3] · 2NaClO4 · 6H2O

Abstract The relative intensities and polarization properties of two-photon absorption (TPA) transitions are examined throughout the 8 S 7 2 → 6 P 7 2 , 6 P 5 2 , and 6 P 3 2 excitation regions of Gd3+(4f7) in single crystals of Na3[Gd(oda)3] · 2NaClO4 · 6H2O (where oda denotes an oxydiacetate ligand of chemical formula C4H4O2 − 5  −OOCCH2OCH2COO−). In these crystals the Gd3+ ions are located at sites of D3 point symmetry, and the Gd(oda)3−3 coordination complexes have chiral, tris-terdentate chelate structures. These crystals exhibit natural optical activity, and they differentially absorb left- and right-circularly polarized light in both one-photon and two-photon excitations of the Gd3+ 4f → 4f (intraconfigurational) electronic transitions. In the present study, results are reported for fluorescence-detected TPA measurements performed under three different excitation polarization conditions: left-circularly polarized, right-circularly polarized, and linearly polarized. In each case, excitation was with a single beam of laser radiation directed along the unique axis of a uniaxial single-crystal sample. The results include relative intensities and polarization properties determined for transitions to each of the nine Stark levels split out of the 6 P 7 2 , 6 P 5 2 , and 6 P 3 2 multiplets of Gd3+ (4f7). Experimental measurements are analyzed in terms of a modified Judd-Pooler perturbation model that explicitly incorporates spin-dependent interaction terms. Calculated versus experimentally determined ratios of circularly polarized to linearly polarized transition intensities are used as a diagnostic of the efficacy of the various calculational methods in rationalizing the experimental results. The calculations show some modest success in reproducing many of the qualitative features of the experimental results, but they fail to account for many of the quantitative details.
Throwing Precaution to the Wind: NEPA and the Deepwater Horizon Blowout

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil platform blew up. Eleven workers were killed in the explosion. When the platform sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico two days later, oil erupted out of the riser - a 5,000-foot pipe connecting the platform to the well on the ocean floor. After a number of failed attempts to stop the leak, BP eventually capped the well in July, three months after the explosion. Nearly 5,000,000 barrels of oil were released into the Gulf, making the Deepwater Horizon the largest offshore oil spill in world history.In this paper, we uncover some of the regulatory failures that led to the disaster. We focus on the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and describe how the government’s failure to take NEPA seriously reveals significant flaws in the oil and gas program as a whole. The precautionary nature of NEPA’s “look before you leap” mandate was completely undercut by the failure to prepare a “worst case analysis,” by the abuse of categorical exclusions, and by over-reliance on flawed assumptions provided by the industry. We assess how these shortcomings resulted in disaster, and suggests reforms to ensure that all potential risks of harm are identified and analyzed in a rigorous, accurate, and unbiased manner before a project like the Deepwater Horizon goes forward.
Effects of Stirring and Hydrogen on Fermentation Products of Clostridium thermocellum.

Clostridium thermocellum produces ethanol, acetate, H2, and CO2 as major fermentation products from cellulose and cellobiose. The performance of three strains of this microorganism was studied to assess the potential use in producing ethanol directly from cellulosic fiber. Depending on the bacterial strain, an ethanol/acetate product ratio from 1 to as high as 3 was observed in unstirred cultures. Vigorous stirring during growth resulted in a threefold decrease in the ethanol/acetate ratio. The H2 content in the unstirred culture broth was three times greater than that in the stirred one. Addition of exogenous H2 to the gas phase during growth increased the ethanol/acetate ratio much more in the stirred than in the unstirred fermentations. The addition of sufficient H2 to the gas phase almost relieved the effect of stirring, and the ethanol/acetate ratio approached that in the unstirred condition. Addition of tritium to the gas phase of the culture resulted in the formation of tritiated water (3H2O), which indicates that C. thermocellum possesses hydrogenase(s) that catalyzes the reverse reaction. The rate of 3H2O formation was about three times higher in the stirred culture than in the unstirred culture. These results demonstrate that the H2 concentration in the broth plays an important role in the product formation. The H2 supersaturation present in the unstirred cultures is responsible for the observed effect of stirring. A hydrogen feedback control mechanism regulating the relative concentrations of reduced and oxidized electron carriers is proposed to account for the effect of hydrogen on the metabolite distribution.
The role of uncertainty in evaluating condition and vulnerability of constructed systems

Condition evaluation of large constructed structures has been widely researched over the last decade. In numerous studies dynamic testing has been used as the primary experimentation tool for measuring the dynamic characteristics and extracting various proposed indicators of structural condition. Despite these efforts, dynamic testing of constructed systems has not yet evolved to a point that it can be standardized as a tool for condition evaluation. Writers believe that two major sources of uncertainty in dynamic test based condition evaluation are the reasons for the gap between concepts and meaningful real-life applications. Most dynamic test methods are built on principles of observability, linearity and stationarity. The first major source of uncertainty is due to constructed systems and their loading environments" inherent complexity leading to limitations in the application of the above tenets. The second category of uncertainty is related to the experiment, i.e. sensing, data acquisition, processing and analysis for different dynamic test methods. Ambient vibration (i.e. operational modal analysis) and impact testing are two different tools aiming to identify same parameters. Comparative evaluation of different test methods at the presence of different levels of uncertainty will enable us to assess the reliability of dynamic testing tools for condition evaluation. Writers designed a set of experiments on a laboratory physical model to investigate the effects of these two groups of uncertainties on modal parameter identification. Results will be discussed along with mitigation measures of uncertainties in dynamic testing of constructed systems.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Non-analog Monte Carlo estimators for radiation momentum deposition

The standard method for calculating radiation momentum deposition in Monte Carlo simulations is the analog estimator, which tallies the change in a particle's momentum at each interaction with the matter. Unfortunately, the analog estimator can suffer from large amounts of statistical error. In this paper, we present three new non-analog techniques for estimating momentum deposition. Specifically, we use absorption, collision, and track-length estimators to evaluate a simple integral expression for momentum deposition that does not contain terms that can cause large amounts of statistical error in the analog scheme. We compare our new non-analog estimators to the analog estimator with a set of test problems that encompass a wide range of material properties and both isotropic and anisotropic scattering. In nearly all cases, the new non-analog estimators outperform the analog estimator. The track-length estimator consistently yields the highest performance gains, improving upon the analog-estimator figure of merit by factors of up to two orders of magnitude.
Resistance to coccidiosis (Eimeria ferrisi) in C57BL/6 mice: effects of immunization and transfer factor.

Abstract For studies of resistance to Eimeria ferrisi, C57BL/6 mice were immunized with infectious oocysts and treated with dialyzable transfer factor (TFd). The TFd was prepared from a calf resistant to Eimeria bovis infection and reactive to coccidian antigens by skin test and by lymphocyte stimulation. Significant resistance was induced by a single prophylactic treatment with bovine TFd, either administered orally in drinking water or injected systemically. TFd reduced both the lethality of the infection and the total oocyst output in the feces of the infected animals. Single doses of infectious oocysts failed to increase the resistance of the mice to coccidiosis. Several consecutive large doses were required to induce resistance comparable to that produced by a single dose of bovine TFd Single dose infectious oocysts did produce resistance when outbred Swiss-Webster mice were used. The results suggest that C57BL/6 mice have a genetically determined defect in their cell-mediated immune response to E. ferrisi infection and that TFd may augment their normally low response and thus confer resistance to infection by this organism.
Mechanism of Acetylene−Vinylidene Rearrangement with Na, Al, and Y Atoms

Reaction pathways are identified for Na-, Al-, and Y-induced acetylene (HCCH)−vinylidene (CCH2) rearrangements in the gas phase. Density functional and coupled cluster calculations are performed with basis set extrapolations. The rearrangement barriers decrease from 44.0 kcal/mol in the metal-free reaction to 41.3 (Na), 19.1 (Al), and 16.1 (Y) kcal/mol in the metal-induced reactions. This decrease results from the strengthening of the M−C bonds (Na−C < Al−C < Y−C) in the M(HCCH) and M(CCH2) complexes. Natural bond orbital analysis reveals the metallacyclopropene and metallaallene character of several of the M(HCCH) and M(CCH2) complexes. In addition, analysis of the transition states provides a detailed picture of the redistribution of bonding and nonbonding electrons along the reaction pathway. The metal-free and Na-induced rearrangements proceed via 1,2-hydride shifts, whereas the Al- and Y-induced reactions proceed via 1,2-hydrogen shifts. The latter reactions involve homolytic bond cleavage and format...
Insulin-like Growth Factor-I and Environmental Modulation of Growth during Smoltification of Spring Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) ☆

The relations among rearing environment, fish size, insulin-like growth factor-I, and smoltification were examined in yearling spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Juvenile chinook salmon were size-graded into small and large categories. Half of the fish in each group were reared at an increased temperature and feeding rate beginning in mid-February, resulting in four distinct treatment groups: large warm-water (LW), large cool-water (LC), small warm-water (SW), and small cool-water (SC). Increased temperature and feeding rate resulted in overall higher growth rates for the LW and SW groups. Temporal increases in insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were found in all groups through the spring. Plasma IGF-I levels were significantly higher in warm-water groups than in cool-water groups from late March through May. Size itself appeared to have little relation to plasma IGF-I levels. Simple regression showed a significant relation between plasma IGF-I and growth (P < 0. 001, R2 = 0.50). No differences were found between treatment groups in other physiological parameters assessed (plasma thyroxine, gill Na+-K+-ATPase, liver glycogen, body lipid).