cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical and Physiological Principles of Diffusion

Abstract Water diffusion is the basis of several important contrast mechanisms in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) experiments. Diffusion MRI techniques are novel in that they provide the opportunity to non-invasively probe characteristics of biological tissue on the cellular size-scale. This chapter provides a definition of the diffusion coefficient and describes fundamental principles involved in using MRI to measure diffusion in vivo. The analysis of water diffusion anisotropy, the directional dependence of water diffusion, in brain tissue is reviewed as an example of the powerful inferences about cellular structure that can be made using diffusion MRI. In addition, the use of diffusion MRI in the detection and study of cerebral ischemia is reviewed. These two applications demonstrate the exquisite sensitivity of diffusion-based MRI contrast to cellular anatomy and physiology, and provide numerous examples of quantitative experimental measurements and analytical modeling approaches for interpreting diffusion MRI data.
Support for legislative, technological, and organizational strategies to reduce cellphone use while driving: Psychological predictors and influences of language.

Objective A large body of research has established that cellphone use while driving (CUWD) is common and dangerous. However, little research has been conducted about how people react psychologically to various distraction-reduction strategies and, ultimately, support or do not support them. Understanding support for reduction is important for predicting use of technological solutions and compliance with laws and for improving communication and education about the risks of CUWD. Methods We measured support for a variety of legislative, technological, and organizational strategies to reduce CUWD in an online sample of American drivers (N = 648). We also developed evidence-based communication techniques, describing strategies in terms of benefits vs. costs or using freedom-invoking vs. freedom-reducing language to assess what would influence support. Results Support for CUWD reduction was generally high. It was predicted by driver characteristics and beliefs. For example, drivers who supported reducing CUWD more also had lower CUWD reactance, greater anti-CUWD beliefs, higher personal risk perceptions of CUWD, and greater self-reported distracted driving. Age and perceived ability to drive distracted did not predict overall support. However, two strategies that allow for handsfree phone use were supported more by people who engaged in more CUWD, perceived they had greater ability to CUWD, perceived more benefits to CUWD, had more positive affect to cellphones, and were younger. Communication techniques also influenced support. Specifically, the same strategy was supported more when described using benefits and permissive language instead of costs and restrictive language. Conclusions Most respondents supported strategies to reduce CUWD, and beliefs about risks and benefits predicted this snupport. Reactance to CUWD messaging emerged as a key predictor of lower support (and of greater self-reported distracted driving), indicating that it could be an important variable to consider when designing strategies to reduce CUWD. When targeting people resistant to quitting CUWD entirely, communicators could recommend a switch to handsfree use. Communicators who emphasize benefits and use permissive language also may increase support for CUWD reduction.
IT'S THERE FOR YOU, BUT IS IT #FYP?: A METHODOLOGICAL REFLECTION OF RESEARCHING CONTENT VS. COMMUNITY ON TIKTOK

With each new online platform comes a new set of methodological challenges when studying its content and the people who reside in that digital space. This paper presents a methodological reflection of studying the exchange of health information and building of community and safe space amongst queer youth on the video sharing and social networking app TikTok. Upon encountering challenges in research related to affordances within the app, further questions are posed about how we go might about studying the nature of content that users, especially those of a specific and historically marginalized group, will come across in their day-to-day engagement with the app, and in so doing exchange information and support with one-another. Existing affordances in the app beg the question of whether content on this platform can truly be studied or understood, even in terms of a simple content analysis, without the direct involvement of users. Replication of the user's experience, and natural encounter with content of a specific nature, becomes challenging and has its risks.
Supporting interdisciplinary careers for sustainability

Universities and research centres around the world have made significant progress towards establishing collaborative, interdisciplinary initiatives in sustainability science. However, more needs to be done to support the career development of junior sustainability scholars whose work is often team based and outreach oriented.
Some Effects of Rain and Mist on Plants, with Implications for Acid Precipitation

Rain and mist mean different things to different people. To the farmer, rain means water for growth of crops, affecting the movement of nutrients from the soil into the roots. To the plant pathologist, rain means a medium in which spores can germinate and grow, often with an increased incidence of disease.
IL-21 enhances natural killer cell activation in response to antibody-coated tumor cells

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 633 Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that are unique due to their constitutive expression of an activating receptor for the Fc portion of IgG (FcγRIIIa). FcR-activated NK cells have been shown to secrete interferon (IFN)-γ and other immune modulatory cytokines, and are also able to mediate antibody-dependant cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against antibody (Ab)-coated targets. Interleukin (IL)-21 is a recently discovered cytokine that has been shown to enhance NK cell IFN-γ secretion and lytic activity. The present study investigated NK cell activity in response to dual stimulation by IL-21 and Ab-coated targets. Purified human NK cells cultured with IL-21 and immobilized IgG or human breast cancer cells coated with a therapeutic monoclonal Ab (trastuzumab) secreted > 5-fold higher levels of IFN-γ as compared to NK cells stimulated with either mAb-coated tumor cells or IL-21 alone. Enhanced secretion of TNF-α and the T cell-recruiting chemokines IL-8, MIP-1α, IP-10, MIG, and RANTES was also observed in response to co-stimulation. Supernatants derived from NK cells that had been stimulated with IL-21 and monoclonal Ab (mAb)-coated breast cancer cells were able to drive the migration of both naive and activated T cells in an in vitro chemotaxis assay. NK cell production of IFN-γ in response to mAb-coated tumor cells and IL-21 was dependent on activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 and the p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), as IFN-γ production was not observed from NK cells from STAT-1 knockout mice or NK cells that had been pre-treated with a specific chemical inhibitor of the p44/p42 MAPK. In contrast, IFN-γ production by co-stimulated NK cells was not dependent on activation of Akt or the MAPK family members p38 and Jnk. In addition, the p44/p42 MAPK was activated following FcγRIIIa ligation in STAT1-knockout NK cells, and STAT-1 was activated in response to IL-21 in NK cells pre-treated with the p44/p42 MAPK inhibitor. These results suggested that NK cell IFN-γ production in response to IL-21 and mAb-coated tumor cells was dependent on distinct and non-interacting signals mediated by the IL-21 receptor (STAT-1) and the FcR (p44/p42 MAPK) on the surface of NK cells. IL-21 also enhanced NK cell lytic activity against trastuzumab-coated human breast cancer cells and rituxan-coated B cell lymphomas. Co-administration of IL-21 and mAb-coated tumor cells to immunocompetent mice led to enhanced production of IFN-γ by NK cells. Furthermore, the administration of IL-21 significantly enhanced the effects of an anti-HER2/ neu mAb in a murine solid tumor model. These findings suggest that administration of IL-21 could enhance the innate immune response to anti-tumor mAbs in patients with cancer.
Mechanism of inhibition of cAMP-dependent epithelial chloride secretion by phorbol esters.

Abstract In T84 cells, we investigated how stimulation of protein kinase C leads to an inhibition of cAMP-dependent chloride secretion. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that the inhibition was caused by loss of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR), an apical membrane chloride channel. As described by others (Trapnell, B. C., Zeitlin, P. L., Chu, C.-S., Yoshimura, K., Nakamura, H., Guggino, W. B., Bargon, J., Banks, T. C., Dalemans, W., Pavirani, A., Lecocq, J.-P., and Crystal, R. G. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 10319-10323), we found that treatment with the phorbol ester, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), reduced CFTR mRNA levels by approximately 80% with a t 1/2 of approximately 2 h. Chloride secretion, measured as forskolin-induced short circuit current, was also abolished by PMA with a t 1/2 of approximately 2 h. Levels of mature glycosylated CFTR measured by Western blotting also declined to 50 +/- 8% (n = 7) of control after a 12-h PMA treatment. However, a 12-h exposure to PMA did not affect the forskolin-stimulated efflux of 125I into high potassium medium, a measure of apical membrane CFTR activity. We conclude that increased turnover of apical membrane CFTR in PMA-treated cells compensates for the decline in anion channel numbers. By contrast to its lack of effect on 125I effluxes, PMA reduced the cAMP-induced increase in 86Rb efflux, suggesting that it inhibits chloride secretion mainly by an action on basolateral potassium channels.
Systematic Literature Reviews in Engineering Education and Other Developing Interdisciplinary Fields

Background In fields such as medicine, psychology, and education, systematic reviews of the literature critically appraise and summarize research to inform policy and practice. We argue that now is an appropriate time in the development of the field of engineering education to both support systematic reviews and benefit from them. More reviews of prior work conducted more systematically would help advance the field by lowering the barrier for both researchers and practitioners to access the literature, enabling more objective critique of past efforts, identifying gaps, and proposing new directions for research. Purpose The purpose of this article is to introduce the methodology of systematic reviews to the field of engineering education and to adapt existing resources on systematic reviews to engineering education and other developing interdisciplinary fields. Scope/Method This article is primarily a narrative review of the literature on conducting systematic reviews. Methods are adapted to engineering education and similar developing interdisciplinary fields. To offer concrete, pertinent examples, we also conducted a systematic review of systematic review articles published on engineering education topics since 1990. Fourteen exemplars are presented in this article and used to illustrate systematic review procedures. Conclusions Systematic reviews can benefit the field of engineering education by synthesizing prior work, by better informing practice, and by identifying important new directions for research. Engineering education researchers should consider including systematic reviews in their repertoire of methodologies.
Congenital Lipoid Adrenal Hyperplasia

Congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia (lipoid CAH) is a rare disorder, especially in non-Japanese populations, and, hence, some may regard it as a mere medical curiosity. This chapter shows how the curiosity of investigators from Europe, Japan, and the United States led to the solution of this unusual disease, and, in turn, how the solution of this disease provided novel fundamental insights into the regulation of steroid hormone biosynthesis and into developmental endocrinology.
A New Zonation Algorithm with Parameter Estimation Using Hydraulic Head and Subsidence Observations

Parameter estimation codes such as UCODE_2005 are becoming well-known tools in groundwater modeling investigations. These programs estimate important parameter values such as transmissivity (T) and aquifer storage values (Sa ) from known observations of hydraulic head, flow, or other physical quantities. One drawback inherent in these codes is that the parameter zones must be specified by the user. However, such knowledge is often unknown even if a detailed hydrogeological description is available. To overcome this deficiency, we present a discrete adjoint algorithm for identifying suitable zonations from hydraulic head and subsidence measurements, which are highly sensitive to both elastic (Sske) and inelastic (Sskv) skeletal specific storage coefficients. With the advent of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), distributed spatial and temporal subsidence measurements can be obtained. A synthetic conceptual model containing seven transmissivity zones, one aquifer storage zone and three interbed zones for elastic and inelastic storage coefficients were developed to simulate drawdown and subsidence in an aquifer interbedded with clay that exhibits delayed drainage. Simulated delayed land subsidence and groundwater head data are assumed to be the observed measurements, to which the discrete adjoint algorithm is called to create approximate spatial zonations of T, Sske , and Sskv . UCODE-2005 is then used to obtain the final optimal parameter values. Calibration results indicate that the estimated zonations calculated from the discrete adjoint algorithm closely approximate the true parameter zonations. This automation algorithm reduces the bias established by the initial distribution of zones and provides a robust parameter zonation distribution.
Information extraction based multiple-category document classification for the global legal information network

This paper describes a prototype application of an information extraction (IE) based document classification system in the international law domain. IE is used to determine if a set of concepts for a class are present in a document. The syntactic and semantic constraints that must be satisfied to make this determination are derived automatically from a training corpus. A collection of IE systems are arranged in a classification hierarchy and novel documents are guided down the hierarchy based on the results from the previous level. Experimental results for a research prototype are given on a subset of the Global Legal Information Network domain.
River routing and density minimization for channels with interchangeable terminals

Abstract Programmable logic cells are widely used in VLSI design because of their structural regularity and flexibility. The terminals (or otherwise called pins) on these cells are interchangeable since their geometries are programmable. Terminals can be interchanged if they are on the same programmable cell. Moreover, the terminals of any logic gate can be inter changed without affecting the functionality of the given circuit. Our input instance is a channel routing problem with exit terminals. The logic cells on the channel sides have permutable terminals. The nets connect terminals on the cells and/or exit terminals. A methodology for performing the channel routing consists of (a) interchanging the terminals within each cell so that certain routing requirements (e.g., density, number of layers, etc.) are minimized, and (b) routing the new problem. We present a linear-time algorithm that detects whether there exists an interchange of the terminals that can lead to a river routable channel, and if so, we proceed with the interchange. Next, we turn our attention to the problem of finding interchanges that minimize the density of the channel. First we show that minimizing the channel density is NP-hard. For the restricted case of two terminal nets, however, we present a linear-time algorithm that finds an interchange that minimizes the density. Finally, we consider the special case where each multiterminal net has at most one terminal per cell. We present a linear-time algorithm that finds an interchange that minimizes the density of such problems. This is an important case since at gate level design each cell is a gate with permutable terminals.
Charge distribution of Ar recoil ions produced in one- and two-electron capture collisions by 16-MeV Oq+ projectiles.

The yields of Ar recoil ions produced in collisions with 16-MeV ${\mathrm{O}}^{\mathrm{q}+}$ (q=3--8) were measured in coincidence with one- and two-electron capture by the projectile. Time-of-flight analysis identified the charges of the Ar recoil ions and enabled the determination of charge-state distributions. The independent-electron approximation was employed along with a simple exponential parametrization of the ionization and capture probabilities to calculate the cross sections for multiple ionization accompanied by one- and two-electron capture. By accounting for direct L-shell ionization and Auger multiplication of L-shell vacancies, good agreement between calculated and measured charge-state distributions was attained.
Safe Womanhood Is Not Safe Motherhood: Policy Implications

The world continues to be unsafe for girls and women. Although natural disasters and man-made disasters make the world unsafe for all people, the gender divide further compromises safety of women. In addition to being at higher risk for violence, rape, trafficking, and abuse, women's injury and mortality increase because of the limited definition of the nature and type of work they do, the conditions that expose them to such infections as HIV/AIDS, the pregnancy and birthing cycles, as well as unsafe abortions, and because of the inadequacy and inaccessibility of health services. To enhance safe womanhood, not just safe motherhood for women, several urgent actions are outlined in this article.
On the boundedness character of some rational difference equations

We prove the boundedness of all positive solutions to special cases of rational difference equations of the form where α, A, β i , and B i are nonnegative constants. If these results are applied to fourth-order equations, they confirm a conjecture in a paper by Camouzis et al. for 16 cases.
The importance of pluripotential stem cells in benzene toxicity

Several schedules of benzene exposure were evaluated for their effects on peripheral white blood cell counts, bone marrow cellularity and transplantable colony forming units (CFU-S) in male C57 Bl/6 mice. Intermittent exposure to 4000 ppm benzene in air produced leukopenia without altering the bone marrow cellularity. This same treatment, however, decreased the number of CFU-S to 30% of control values. Uninterrupted exposure to lower levels of benzene decreased peripheral cell counts within 24 h, and later decreased marrow cellularity. Exposure of a non-dividing population of stem cells (CFU-S) to benzene for up to 24 h produced no detectable effect on the subsequent development of spleen colonies, suggesting that the effect of benzene on CFU-S occurs only after peripheral cells are depleted. These findings indicate that benzene has affects on both differentiated cells and undifferentiated stem cells. An effect on the pluripotential stem cell is an important aspect of benzene toxicity, but not its exclusive or initial site of action.
Method for determination of carrier capture cross-sections at Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface

A simple DC method for measurement of the capture cross-sections at the Si/SiO2 interface is presented. The method combines the measurement of the interface recombination current under the gate of the MOS transistor with the measurement of the subthreshold slope. The results are in good agreement with previous results obtained by AC small-signal and transient methods.
Use of EPID for leaf position accuracy QA of dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) treatment.

We describe in this paper an alternative method for routine dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) quality assurance (QA) using an electronic portal imaging device(EPID). Currently, this QA is done at our institution by filming an intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) test field producing a pattern of five 1-mm bands 2 cm apart and performing a visual spot-check for leaf alignment, motion lags, sticking and any other mechanical problems. In this study, we used an amorphous silicon aS500 EPID and films contemporaneously for the DMLC QA to test the practicality and efficacy of EPIDvis-a-vis film. The EPIDimage was transformed to an integrated dose map by first converting the reading to dose using a calibration curve, and then multiplying by the number of averaged frames. The EPIDdose map was then back-projected to the central axis plane and was compared to the film measurements which were scanned and converted to dose using a film dosimetry system. We determined the full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of each band for both images, and evaluated the dose to the valley between two peaks. We also simulated mechanical problems by increasing the band gap to 1.5 mm for some leaf pairs. Our results show that EPID is as good as the film in resolving the band pattern of the IMRT test field. Although the resolution of the EPID is lower than that of the film (0.78 mm/pixel vs 0.36 mm/pixel for the film), it is high enough to faithfully reproduce the band pattern without significant distortion. The FWHM of the EPID is 2.84 mm, slightly higher than the 2.01 mm for the film. The lowest dose to the valley is significantly lower for the EPID (15.5% of the peak value) than for the film (28.6%), indicating that EPID is less energy independent. The simulated leaf problem can be spotted by visual inspection of both images; however, it is more difficult for the film without being scanned and contrast-enhanced. EPIDimages have the advantage of being already digital and their analysis can easily be automated to flag leaf pairs outside tolerance limits of set parameters such as FWHM, peak dose values, peak location, and distance between peaks. This automation is a new feature that will help preempt MLC motion interlocks and decrease machine downtime during actual IMRT treatment. We conclude that since EPIDimages can be acquired, analyzed and stored much more conveniently than film, EPID is a good alternative to film for routine DMLC QA.
Crystallographic and Electron Microscopic Analyses of a Bacterial Phytochrome Reveal Local and Global Rearrangements during Photoconversion

Phytochromes are multidomain photoswitches that drive light perception in plants and microorganisms by coupling photoreversible isomerization of their bilin chromophore to various signaling cascades. How changes in bilin conformation affect output by these photoreceptors remains poorly resolved and might include several species-specific routes. Here, we present detailed three-dimensional models of the photosensing module and a picture of an entire dimeric photoreceptor through structural analysis of the Deinococcus radiodurans phytochrome BphP assembled with biliverdin (BV). A 1.16-Å resolution crystal structure of the bilin-binding pocket in the dark-adapted red light-absorbing state illuminated the intricate network of bilin/protein/water interactions and confirmed the protonation and ZZZssa conformation of BV. Structural and spectroscopic comparisons with the photochemically compromised D207A mutant revealed that substitutions of Asp-207 allow inclusion of cyclic porphyrins in addition to BV. A crystal structure of the entire photosensing module showed a head-to-head, twisted dimeric arrangement with bowed helical spines and a hairpin protrusion connecting the cGMP phosphodiesterase/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA (GAF) and phytochrome-specific (PHY) domains. A key conserved hairpin feature is its anti-parallel, two β-strand stem, which we show by mutagenesis to be critical for BphP photochemistry. Comparisons of single particle electron microscopic images of the full-length BphP dimer in the red light-absorbing state and the photoactivated far-red light-absorbing state revealed a large scale reorientation of the PHY domain relative to the GAF domain, which alters the position of the downstream histidine kinase output module. Together, our data support a toggle model whereby bilin photoisomerization alters GAF/PHY domain interactions through conformational modification of the hairpin, which regulates signaling by impacting the relationship between sister output modules.
Nursing protocol violations: detect, correct and communicate

Aims and objectives: The Critical Nursing Situation Index (CNSI) is a checklist to detect nursing protocol violations. The objectives of this study were to determine incidences and severities of nursing protocol violations and to check whether corrective actions were taken. Design: Prospective observational audit. Methods: This study was performed in the Intensive Care Unit of the Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The CNSI was applied in the period February 2009 to February 2010 by 14 purpose-trained nurses whose interrater reliability had proved sufficient. The checklist addressed nine domains of nursing care: Basic care, Circulation, Respiration, Digestive tract, Infection, Invasive catheters, Medication, ECMO and Central nervous system. The trained nurses also recorded whether violations were discussed with the bedside nurse, whether they could be corrected; and whether they were justifiable. Protocol violations are justifiable when protocol adherence carries greater risk of harm to the patient. Results: Protocol violations were identified for 987 of 8107 items (12·2%) checked in 238 observations in 126 patients. The percentage of protocol violations varied from 5% in the Medication domain to 26% in the Digestive tract domain. More than fifty percent (53·4%) of all protocol violations were corrected in the same shift; 22·3% of all protocol violations proved justifiable, however, these were rarely documented (6·4% of cases). Nurses' classification of the severity of the protocol violations was not reliable because linearly weighted kappa varied from 0 to 0·33. Conclusions: The CNSI is a useful tool to monitor and correct nursing protocol violations. Relevance to clinical practice: Timely identification and correction of protocol violations will reduce possible adverse events resulting from these violations. Furthermore, this study made us aware that protocol violations may be justifiable in clinical practice provided they are well documented.
Color Marks the Site/Sight of Social Difference Dysconscious Racism in the “Age of Obama”

Though racism in the form of blatant de facto and de jure policies and domestic terrorism is no longer the law of the land as was the case before, and during the Civil Rights Movement, an intensified dysconscious and color-blind racism has propelled itself in the post–Civil Rights United States, particularly in this “Age of Obama”; one that manifests in semantically slippery and rhetorically convoluted discourses. Consequently to illuminate this specter of American racism, critical race theory and spoken word performative poetics join forces here in an interpretive conarrated description of rhetoric that has recently emerged in the mainstream media—a discourse that attempts (a) to deny Black persons the right to human dignity; (b) to distort and invalidate Black persons’ ideas, thoughts, and feelings; and (c) to deny one’s right to claim and affirm one’s personal identity.
Propagating and mitigating the effect of uncertainty in the conceptual design of a monopropellant propulsion system

A method for propagating and mitigating the effect of uncertainty in conceptual level design via probabalistic methods is described.
Clay mineralogy determines the importance of biological versus abiotic processes for macroaggregate formation and stabilization

Summary Plant residues, living roots and microbial activity play an important role in aggregate formation and the stabilization of soil organic carbon (SOC), but their impact might differ among soils with different clay mineralogy. We investigated the effect of these organic agents on aggregation and SOC during a 76-day incubation of 2-mm sieved soil from an illitic Kastanozem and a kaolinitic Ferralsol, subjected to the following treatments: (i) control (no residue input or plant growth), (ii) residue input, (iii) living plants, and (iv) residue input and living plants. After 46 and 76 days, aggregate size distribution, aggregate-associated SOC and microbial-C were measured. In both soils, microbial-C was less in the control than in the residue and/or plant treatments. After 46 days, new large macroaggregates (> 2000 µm) were formed in the control treatment of the kaolinitic soil, but not of the illitic soil. Control macroaggregates in the kaolinitic soil were formed out of silt and clay particles without accumulating C. Residue input and plant growth had a greater positive effect on macroaggregate formation in the illitic than in the kaolinitic soil. A stronger relation was found between microbial-C and amount of large macroaggregates in the illitic than in the kaolinitic soil. We conclude that kaolinitic soils can rapidly form macroaggregates independent of biological processes due to physical or electrostatic interactions between the 1:1 clay minerals and oxides. However, biological processes led to stronger organic bonds between the illite compared with the kaolinite clay, resulting in more macroaggregates with long-term stability in the illitic than in the kaolinitic soil.
Preliminary Intravital Microscopic Analysis Reveals Specific Monocyte Uptake of Circulating Nanotubes and Peptide-Dependent Delivery into Tumor

Nanoparticle targeting efficiency to tumor is poor and not well-understood. Applying intravital microscopy in a mouse-model to interrogate vasculature-targeted nanotubes, we found that monocytes specifically take up nanotubes and are programmed to enter tumor.
Characterization of a steroid hormone receptor gene and mRNA in wild-type and mutant cells

The effects of steroid hormones are mediated by intracellular hormone-specific receptor proteins; the interaction between the hormone and its receptor increases the affinity of the receptor for nuclear binding sites, thereby modulating the expression of specific genes. The glucocorticoid receptor is a soluble protein of relative molecular mass (Mr) 94,000 (94K), present at a low relative abundance (less than or equal to 0.01%); it has been purified to near-homogeneity, and specific antisera and monoclonal antibodies have been produced. Purified glucocorticoid receptor binds in vitro with high affinity to defined regions of DNA near regulated promoters, and sequences essential for these interactions are functional in vivo as hormone-dependent transcriptional enhancer elements. We have now cloned complementary DNA (cDNA) for the rat liver glucocorticoid receptor and we describe here a 2.6-kilobase (kb) receptor cDNA isolated following polysome immuno-enrichment of receptor messenger RNA with glucocorticoid receptor-specific antibodies. The receptor appears to be encoded by a single-copy gene which specifies a approximately 6-kb transcript in rat and mouse cells; this mRNA is altered quantitatively and qualitatively in several mutant cell lines with specific defects in receptor function.
Paternal Race/Ethnicity and Birth Outcomes

Objectives. I sought to identify whether there were associations between paternal race/ethnicity and birth outcomes among infants with parents of same- and mixed-races/ethnicities.Methods. Using the National Center for Health Statistics 2001 linked birth and infant death file, I compared birth outcomes of infants of White mothers and fathers of different races/ethnicities by matching and weighting racial/ethnic groups following a propensity scoring approach so other characteristics were distributed identically. I applied the same analysis to infants of Black parents and infants with a Black mother and White father.Results. Variation in risk factors and outcomes was found in infants of White mothers by paternal race/ethnicity. After propensity score weighting, the disparities in outcomes by paternal or parental race/ethnicity could be largely attributed to nonracial parental characteristics. Infants whose paternal race/ethnicity was unreported on their birth certificates had the worst outcomes.Conclusions....
THE STRUCTURE OF SKEWNESS PREFERENCES IN ASSET PRICING MODELS WITH HIGHER MOMENTS: AN EMPIRICAL TEST

In this paper, the authors employ a nonlinear formulation to examine empirically the structural content of the three moment capital asset pricing model (CAPM). Whereas previous research focused on the coefficients of beta and co-skewness, this paper presents empirical results on the market risk premium and elasticity coefficient components of these two coefficients. The results indicate that although the estimated coefficient of coskewness gives important information on the marginal rate of substitution between skewness and expected return, the elasticity coefficient can provide additional (albeit different) information on skewness preference that is independent of the effects of the market risk premium. This research also shows how the non-linear formulation provides a direct linkage between the twomoment and three-moment CAPM versions and thus provides an empirical test of the theoretical conditions under which skewness preference is consistent with the two-moment CAPM empiricial results.
The role of systemic disease status in treatment outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed brain oligometastases and treated with stereotactic radiosurgery alone

Objective The role of adjuvant whole-brain radiation therapy in the treatment of oligometastatic brain disease with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is not clearly defined. Many clinicians use a systemicdisease statusfactortodetermine whether SRSaloneissufficient;however,dataislimitedtosupportthis approach. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases treated at our institution between 2005 and 2010 and identified 169 patients who were treated with SRS alone. Results The overall median survival was 11.8 months (90 % CI [10.1, 14.7]) and the overall median time to brain recurrence was 7.1 months. We have observed that the primary disease status at the time of initial diagnosis is associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) 1.7, p=0.005), after adjusting for recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classification, number of lesions, performance status, and prior surgery. Primary disease status is also associated with higher likelihood of CNS disease recurrence (HR 1.8, p=0.01), after adjusting for pathology of primary disease, age, RPA classification, and number of lesions. Conclusion These results might help clinicians with proper selection and counseling of patients regarding treatment modalities for patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases.
Some Masking Effects Produced by Low-Frequency Vowel Formants in Persons with Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Discrimination of second-formant (F2) transitions in synthetic vowels was measured with and without the first formant (F1) present, with F1 and F2 presented monotically vs dichotically, and with th...
An Update on the Neurologic Applications of Botulinum Toxins

Initially used to treat strabismus in the 1970s, botulinum toxin now has more than a hundred possible medical applications. Its utility in neurologic conditions has largely involved treating movement disorders (particularly dystonia and conditions with muscle hyperactivity), although practically any hyperkinetic movement disorder may be relieved by botulinum toxin, including hemifacial spasm, tremor, tics, myoclonus, and spasticity. Although initially thought to inhibit acetylcholine release only at the neuromuscular junction, botulinum toxins are now recognized to inhibit acetylcholine release at autonomic cholinergic nerve terminals, as well as peripheral release of neurotransmitters involved in pain regulation. Thus, their use in neurology has been expanded to include headache and other pain syndromes, as well as hypersecretory disorders. This article highlights some of the common neurologic conditions currently improved by botulinum toxins and reviews the scientific evidence from research studies and clinical experience with these conditions.
Validation of sepsis screening tool using StO2 in emergency department patients.

Abstract Background Sepsis is a deleterious systemic response to an infection with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality, affecting more than a million patients a year in the US. The purpose of this study was to develop a screening tool for the early identification of sepsis in emergency department patients using readily available information at triage. Materials and methods This prospective, observational study took place at an academic tertiary referral hospital. Over a period of 10 wk, all patients who were seen at triage were screened for study enrollment. Inclusion criteria were adult (age ≥18 y) nontrauma patients and exclusion criteria were prisoners and pregnant women. Using a Spot Check StO2 device to measure StO2 value, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature, these values were used to generate a cumulative screening score indicating whether a patient may have sepsis. Results A total of 500 patients were screened. The incidence of sepsis in the present study population was 8.4%. The screening tool yielded a sensitivity of 85.7%, a specificity of 78.4%, a positive predictive value of 26.7%, and a negative predictive value of 98.4%. Conclusions Heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature have good diagnostic potential for the early identification of sepsis among emergency department triage personnel. Additionally, early evidence suggests StO2 may play a complementary and synergistic role in the early identification of sepsis by triage personnel.
Pressureless sintering of SiAlON ceramics

Abstract Pressureless sintering of β-SiAlON ceramics has been carried out successfully without the use of additives. Grinding the raw material powders (AlN, Si 3 N 4 and Al 2 O 3 ) for long periods was shown to be an important factor in obtaining ceramics of high quality. The problem of volatilisation of sub-oxides such as “SiO” has been solved by carrying out the sintering in a special closed crucible. The sintering time is approximately 2 hours at temperatures between 1740 and 1780°C. In this way a material having a density corresponding to 99 % of the theoretical density was obtained. Bend strengths of 420 MN/m 2 have been measured on the best SiAlON obtained. The ease of sintering depends on the composition of the particular SiAlON being apparently more difficult as the mixture becomes richer in Si 3 N 4 .
Results of a preliminary, high power RF thruster test

The objective of this program was to demonstrate a high power electrodeless, RF electric propulsion concept. This was successfully accomplished. No attempt was made to optimize the design of the thruster with regard to physical dimensions, mass flow, nozzle shape, operational frequency, or power level. Measurements made were chamber pressure, total and static pressures at the nozzle exit plane and exhaust tank pressure. Mass flows range from about 0.4 to 1 gm/sec and, assuming perfect gas relationships, specific impulses up to 580 sec were obtained. Typical chamber pressure was 300 torr exhausting to a tank pressure of about 10 torr. Working fluids used were argon, helium and mixtures of the two. No degration of the device was detected after 12 start/stop cycles, about three hours of total run time, and a maximum input power of 70 kW. 10 refs.
Ventti: A vertically integrated framework for simulation and optimization of networks-on-Chip

Networks-on-chip have been proposed to enable the integration of heterogeneous SoCs in a power-efficient and scalable way. We present Ventti, a design and simulation environment that combines a virtualized platform, a NoC synthesis tool, and a library of NoC building blocks characterized at different abstraction levels. By efficiently simulating complex application scenarios running on top of Linux, Ventti enables the evaluation of alternative NoC architectures and the derivation of a final RTL implementation that meets the communication requirements while optimizing power dissipation. Experimental results demonstrate the features of Ventti and illustrate the trade-offs in terms of simulation time and power-estimation accuracy.
Pressure Points: Intersections of Homophobia, Heterosexism, and Schooling

I had planned to begin this introduction with a story, a different story than the one this dedication will tell. Eric Rofes, devoted and dedicated teacher, educator, organizer, activist, speaker, r...
Irreconcilable differences: Teacher attrition in public and catholic schools

Abstract Teachers have a powerful impact on student achievement, yet high attrition rates hinder the ability of schools to provide quality instruction. Attrition rates are highest for schools serving low income, minority students and among small private schools. This review of research seeks to understand why teachers leave, examining different teaching contexts and comparing teaching contexts around the world and in both public and Catholic schools. Findings indicate that simple solutions will not suffice and that research methods are needed that take into account changes in the culture of schools, teacher identity, and teacher commitment that impact decisions to stay or leave the profession throughout a teacher's career.
Aggregate Production Functions Revisited: The Mobility of Capital and the Rigidity of Thought

Past work on aggregation of production functions has focused on aggregation over firms where technology is embodied in fixed capital. This paper shows that much of the stringency of the necessary conditions for aggregation resides in the nature of aggregation over firms and not in the immobility of capital. Roughly, when capital is mobile, aggregation is permitted for any group of factors under the union of the conditions which otherwise applied to aggregation of fixed or aggregation of movable factors, respectively. No truly new conditions appear. The results are also interpreted in terms of output aggregation.
Shear-induced stress relaxation in a two-dimensional wet foam.

We report on experimental measurements of the flow behavior of a wet, two-dimensional foam under conditions of slow, steady shear. The initial response of the foam is elastic. Above the yield strain, the foam begins to flow. The flow consists of irregular intervals of elastic stretch followed by sudden reductions of the stress, i.e., stress drops. We report on the distribution of the stress drops as a function of the applied shear rate. We also comment on our results in the context of various two-dimensional models of foams.
Generation of accurate protein loop conformations through low‐barrier molecular dynamics

Prediction and refinement of protein loop structures are important and challenging tasks for which no general solution has been found. In addition to the accuracy of scoring functions, the main problems reside in (1) insufficient statistical sampling and (2) crossing energy barriers that impede conformational rearrangements of the loop. We approach these two issues by using “low-barrier molecular dynamics,” a combination of energy smoothing techniques. To address statistical sampling, locally enhanced sampling (LES) is used to produce multiple copies of the loop, thus improving statistics and reducing energy barriers. We introduce a novel extension of LES that can improve local sampling even further through hierarchical subdivision of copies. Even though LES reduces energy barriers, it cannot provide for crossing infinite barriers, which can be problematic when substantial rearrangement of residues is necessary. To permit this kind of loop residue repacking, a “soft-core” potential energy function is introduced, so that atomic overlaps are temporarily allowed. We tested this new combined methodology to a loop in anti-influenza antibody Fab 17/9 (7 residues long) and to another loop in the antiprogesterone antibody DB3 (8 residues). In both cases, starting from random conformations, we were able to locate correct loop structures (including sidechain orientations) with heavy-atom root-mean-square deviation (fit to the nonloop region) of ∼1.1 A in Fab 17/9 and ∼1.8 A in DB3. We show that the combination of LES and soft-core potential substantially improves sampling compared to regular molecular dynamics. Moreover, the sampling improvement obtained with this combined approach is significantly better than that provided by either of the two methods alone. Proteins 2003;51:577–590. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effects of daily administration of carphenazine on attention in the schizophrenic patient.

Chronic schizophrenic patients on daily administrations of carphenazine were clinically rated by two separate methods and measured by two types of performance tests. One was an attention test (CPT) and one a cognitive or associative test (DSST). Before medication the subjects performed poorly on the attention test but showed significant improvement during the course of medication. They showed no similar improvement on the cognitive test. Clinical improvement was also manifested and this correlated positively with improvement on the attention test. No such significant correlation existed between the DSST scores and the clinical ratings. The results of the study were discussed in light of the hypothesis that schizophrenic patients are hyperaroused. The fact that patients showed improvement on the CPT and not the DSST gave further evidence to support the hypothesis that phenothiazines have an effect on the selective areas of the brain and that these areas may be inherently related to the underlying factors in schizophrenia.
Fluorescence dynamics of Er/sup 3+/ and Ho/sup 3+/ ions and energy transfer in some fluoride glasses

A detailed study at room temperature of the fluorescence dynamics of Er/sup 3+/ and Ho/sup 3+/ ions and energy transfer processes Er/sup 3+/ to Ho/sup 3+/ in the ABLA, BATY, and BIZYT fluoride glasses is reported. Numerous concentrations and different selective laser excitations in the visible and infrared spectral ranges are used. The best concentrations and the more suitable glasses for laser applications at 2 mu m are determined. >
Homologous Recombination Is a Primary Pathway to Repair DNA Double-Strand Breaks Generated during DNA Rereplication

Re-initiation of DNA replication at origins within a given cell cycle would result in DNA rereplication, which can lead to genome instability and tumorigenesis. DNA rereplication can be induced by loss of licensing control at cellular replication origins, or by viral protein-driven multiple rounds of replication initiation at viral origins. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are generated during rereplication, but the mechanisms of how these DSBs are repaired to maintain genome stability and cell viability are poorly understood in mammalian cells. We generated novel EGFP-based DSB repair substrates, which specifically monitor the repair of rereplication-associated DSBs. We demonstrated that homologous recombination (HR) is an important mechanism to repair rereplication-associated DSBs, and sister chromatids are used as templates for such HR-mediated DSB repair. Micro-homology-mediated non-homologous end joining (MMEJ) can also be used but to a lesser extent compared to HR, whereas Ku-dependent classical non-homologous end joining (C-NHEJ) has a minimal role to repair rereplication-associated DSBs. In addition, loss of HR activity leads to severe cell death when rereplication is induced. Therefore, our studies identify HR, the most conservative repair pathway, as the primary mechanism to repair DSBs upon rereplication.