cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of capillary tube diameter on microhematocrit value

Changes in percentages of donor deferrals associated with changes in the capillary tube size used for microhematocrit determinations led us to study the variables which influence microhematocrit values. Duplicate microhematocrit determinations were performed on a normal donor population with capillary tubes of different diameter, as well as with different anticoagulants, sample sites, centrifugation times, and degrees of operator skill. Microhematocrit values varied directly with capillary tube diameter over the range of diameters tested, and varied independently of sample site, centrifugation time, anticoagulant, and operator. The magnitude of the difference in microhematocrit values between small and large capillary tubes was approximately one volume percent in the normal microhematocrit range. Although differences of this magnitude are without clinical significance, they can be of substantial importance in attempts to minimize donor deferrals in a blood center. In our center, increasing the diameter of the capillary tube used for the microhematocrit determination allowed the collection of 6500 additional units of blood annually, or an approximate 3.5 percent increase in total collections.
The generation effect: Activating broad neural circuits during memory encoding

The generation effect is a robust memory phenomenon in which actively producing material during encoding acts to improve later memory performance. In a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis, we explored the neural basis of this effect. During encoding, participants generated synonyms from word-fragment cues (e.g., GARBAGEeW_ST_) or read other synonym pairs (e.g., GARBAGEeWASTE). Compared to simply reading target words, generating target words significantly improved later recognition memory performance. During encoding, this benefit was associated with a broad neural network that involved both prefrontal (inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus) and posterior cortex (inferior temporal gyrus, lateral occipital cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, ventral posterior parietal cortex). These findings define the prefrontal-posterior cortical dynamics associated with the mnemonic benefits underlying the generation effect.
Trypanothione dependent peroxide metabolism in Crithidia fasciculata and Trypanosoma brucei.

Abstract A trypanothione-dependent peroxidase activity has been identified in the insect trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata and in the mammalian trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei . Using organic hydroperoxides as oxidant, specific peroxidase activities in these organisms are 5.0 and 1.0 nmol min −1 (10 8 cells) −1 respectively. The T. brucei peroxidase had an activity of 0.4 nmol min −1 (10 8 cells) −1 using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. The enzyme is specific for the N 1 , N 8 -bis(glutathionyl)spermidine conjugate (dihydrotrypanothione); N 1 -mono-glutathionylspermidine is not a substrate. Experiments to demonstrate that this parasite peroxidase may contain selenium were inconclusive. However, bloodstream T. brucei can incorporate radiolabelled selenite into proteins.
An architecture framework for decision support systems (DSSs) in air traffic management

The current Air Traffic Management (ATM) system in the United States supports a wide variety of users in providing a safe and efficient air transportation system. The ATM system must continue to respond to the changing needs of its users, which include commercial and business aviation, general aviation, military and government, international aviation and ATM, and aviation-related businesses. One of the challenges in the ATM system evolution is to design the evolution of a Decision Support System (DSS)/automation architecture. This paper proposes a framework and a common language for understanding the different aspects of complex automation architectures using the ATM context as an example. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 4: 1–12, 2001
Neuromyelitis optica (Devic disease)_following varicella infection

A 5-year-old white girl was admitted to Milwaukee Children's Hospital with a four-day history of inability to walk. Eleven days prior to admission she developed a febrile illness associated with a vesicular eruption, which was diagnosed as varicella. Two siblings developed a similar exanthem simultaneously. Five days after the onset of her exanthem the patient complained of "burning feet." The next day she refused or was unable to walk. Two days later she was noted to have decreased strength in her lower extremities, a stiff neck, incontinence, and blurred vision. There was no history of loss of consciousness or ataxia. Physical examination re~{ealed a well-developed, wellnourished, afebrile white girl covered with crusted lesions. Positive physical findings included posterior cervical lymphadenopathy and positive Kernig and Brudzinski signs. Papilledema was absent. Her abdomen was distended but there was no organomegaly, The patient was alert and well oriented. The optic fundi were normal and cranial nerve dysfunction was not observed. There was a flaccid paralysis of the lower extremities. Rectal sphincter tone was normal. There was loss of pain, pin, and light touch sensations below T~,. Position sensation could not be reliably tested. Deep tendon reflexes were absent in the lower extremities and the Babinski sign was present bilaterally.
Bioaccumulation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons by the clam, Rangia cuneata, in the vicinity of a creosote spill.

During 1980-81, as part of NOAA/US Coast Guard initiative, the authors participated in an environmental study of a creosote spill into Bayou Bonfouca at the American Creosote Works Plant (ACWP) site at Slidell, Louisiana. The objectives for the study were: (1) to determined the nature and extent of creosote contamination at the site and in the bayou, and (2) to evaluate through biomonitoring the bioavailability and human health implications of creosote derived PAHs in the bayou and the estuarine system into which Bayou Bonfouca flows. So dramatic were their findings that their data was used in part by state and federal agencies to bring about in 1982, the inclusion of the Bayou Bonfouca site on the National Priorities List of hazardous waste sites that pose a threat to public health and the environment. This is a report of their findings on the biomonitoring of their study.
Hindcasting the Georges Bank circulation, Part II: wind-band inversion

Abstract Nonlinear inversion of velocity observations to produce limited-area circulation hindcasts is examined in the context of the USGLOBEC-Georges Bank surveys. Two linear inverses representing tide- and wind-band responses are used serially in an iteration with a nonlinear forward model. Both inverses are linearized about the nonlinear model. The objective is generalized least-squares fit; the controls are sea level elevation on the boundary of a limited-area mesh. The iteration converges rapidly provided a good prior estimate is available. Observational system simulation experiments address prediction skill for an idealized shelf regime and for an isolated wind event on Georges Bank. The idealized shelf inversion shows the limitations of extrapolative skill. For the wind event, skill is sensitive to the space-time locations of the observations. A real Georges Bank cruise, ENDEAVOR 261, is studied and the hindcast based on shipboard ADCP and moored data is assessed. The prior estimate based on climatology plus observed wind captured much of the tidal variability, most of the time-mean circulation, and little of the wind-band variability. The inversion improved the tidal fit, captured the wind-band variability, and did not degrade the mean.
Focal gliosis and potassium movement in mammalian cortex.

Abstract Potassium concentration in the extracellular spaces of the brain ([K + ] 0 ) has been proposed to play a role in cortical excitability. It has further been suggested that extracellular potassium concentrations are not regulated normally in damaged (gliotic) brain, and that this defect might lead to initiation or development of epileptic seizures. In order to evaluate this hypothesis we elevated [K + ] 0 iatrogenically by superfusion of high-potassium artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through a special chamber placed over focally injured cortex of cats who had recovered from freeze lesions. Standard mathematical techniques were used to calculate from the data: the diffusion coefficient, D , of potassium in cortex; the magnitude, h , of the pial-glial surface barrier to penetration of K + into the brain; and the extent of active uptake of potassium from the intercellular clefts. In comparison with measurements previously made in normal cortex, no significant differences were found in resting K + levels (normal 3.15 ± 0.15 m m , gliotic = 3.24 ± 0.21 m m ), in diffusion coefficients (normal = 1.03 ± 0.16 mm 2 /hr, gliotic = 0.93 ± 0.15 mm 2 /hr), or in the gross degree of active uptake into cells and blood vessels. However, a more substantial barrier to penetration of potassium was found at the surface of gliotic cortex. At no time were spontaneous seizures observed. We concluded that seizure susceptibility of chronically injured cortex is not related to, or is at best a very complicated function of, altered potassium kinetics.
Accountability in health care--transplant community offers leadership.

Two concerns expressed by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) are that (1) the new Medicare regulations for transplant hospitals take a ‘punitive’ approach and that (2) the outcome requirement may thwart innovation by not including certain risk factors into the risk adjustment used to calculate expected outcomes. This article explains efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to encourage quality improvement. CMS limits outcomes-related enforcement to situations where failure rates exceed certain substantial ‘tolerance limits’, ensuring opportunity for quality improvement to be effective prior to enforcement. Transplantations involving a disproportionate share of risk factors not incorporated into the risk-adjustment methodology can also be raised through CMS’‘mitigating factors’ process. Of the 22 mitigating factor requests completed through March 10, 2009, 7 raised issues of risk adjustment (none involved experimental protocols). Four of the seven requests were approved for other reasons (evidence of effective program changes and improved outcomes). CMS concluded that none of the seven made a persuasive case based on risk factors. The early data indicate that program deficiencies may outweigh risk adjustment issues. CMS agrees to consider the ASTS suggestions for future action and continues to monitor the situation in case a different pattern emerges.
A Novel Tyrosine Phosphorylation Site in Protein Kinase D Contributes to Oxidative Stress-mediated Activation

Protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is a mediator of oxidative stress signaling where it regulates cellular detoxification and survival. Critical for the regulation of PKD1 activity in response to oxidative stress are Src- and Abl-mediated tyrosine phosphorylations that eventually lead to protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ)-mediated activation of PKD1. Here we identify Tyr95 in PKD1 as a previously undescribed phosphorylation site that is regulated by oxidative stress. Our data suggest that PKD1 phosphorylation at Tyr95 generates a binding motif for PKCδ, and that oxidative stress-mediated PKCδ/PKD interaction results in PKD1 activation loop phosphorylation and activation. We further analyzed all PKD isoforms for this mechanism and show that PKD enzymes PKD1 and PKD2 are targets for PKCδ in response to oxidative stress, and that PKD3 is not a target because it lacks the relevant tyrosine residue that generates a PKCδ interaction motif.
Combined carbonate carbon isotopic and cellular ultrastructural studies of individual benthic foraminifera: Method description

[1] Carbon isotopes of foraminiferal tests provide a widely used proxy for past oceanographic environmental conditions. This proxy can be calibrated using live specimens, which are reliably identified with observations of cell ultrastructure. Observations of ultrastructures can also be used for studies of biological characteristics such as diet and presence of symbionts. Combining biological and isotopic studies on individual foraminifera could provide novel information, but standard isotopic methods destroy ultrastructures by desiccating specimens and observations of ultrastructure require removal of carbonate tests, preventing isotope measurements. The approach described here preserves cellular ultrastructure during isotopic analyses by keeping the foraminifera in an aqueous buffer (Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS)). The technique was developed and standardized with 36 aliquots of NBS-19 standard of similar weight to foraminiferal tests (5 to 123 μg). Standard errors ranged from ± 0.06 to ± 0.85‰ and were caused by CO2 contaminants dissolved in the PBS. The technique was used to measure δ13C values of 96 foraminifera, 10 of which do not precipitate carbonate tests. Calcareous foraminiferal tests had corrected carbon isotope ratios of −8.5 to +3.2‰. This new technique allows comparisons of isotopic compositions of tests made by foraminifera known to be alive at the time of collection with their biological characteristics such as prey composition and presence or absence of putative symbionts. The approach may be applied to additional biomineralizing organisms such as planktonic foraminifera, pteropods, corals, and coccolithophores to elucidate certain biological controls on their paleoceanographic proxy signatures.
Fluff balls of fire

The most mysterious sort of lightning is ball lightning — glowing spheres of light that float in air. A new theory claims to explain nearly all the properties of these unusual balls of fire.
An application of a spatially distributed queuing model to an ambulance system.

Abstract An application of a spatially distributed queuing model to an ambulance system is presented. The purpose of this research was to assess the usefulness of a variation of the “hypercube” queuing model developed specifically for modeling an ambulance system. The model was applied to the emergency medical system of Greenville County, South Carolina using historical data. Results indicate that the model provides reasonably accurate estimates of system performance measures when the input parameters can be accurately specified.
Terrace-width and step-height enlargement: Reconstruction of the TaC(310) surface

The geometric structure of the TaC(310) surface has been investigated using high-resolution low-energy electron diffraction. An ideally truncated TaC(310) surface has a staircase geometry where each unit consists of a (100) terrace, three row spacings wide, separated by a single-height step. However, it is determined that the surface is reconstructed with both terrace width and step height tripled on average while the surface still retains the (310) orientation. In addition, a small number of double-height steps are found to coexist with the triple-height steps. Possible physical origins of these observations are discussed.
A minimum age for high-grade metamorphism and granite intrusion in the Piedmont of the Potomac River gorge near Washington, D.C.

Near Great Falls on the Potomac River, metamorphosed Piedmont rocks of the Glenarm Group were intruded by small bodies of granite and pegmatite after the peak of high-grade metamorphism in the area. Muscovites from two of the feldspar-quartz-muscovite pegmatites were dated by the Rb-Sr method. They show ages of 469 ± 20 m.y. and 469 ± 12 m.y. The ages may represent the time of intrusion or cooling of the rocks below about 500 °C. The pegmatites crosscut the foliation of the Glenarm metasediments, and thus their age places a younger limit on the time of deposition of the series and of high-grade metamorphism in the area.
Characterization of a yeast replication origin (ars2) and construction of stable minichromosomes containing cloned yeast centromere DNA (CEN3)

A yeast DNA sequence (ars2), capable of supporting autonomous replication of plasmids, in yeast, has been characterized. The ars2 replicator occurs about 7 kb from the ARG4 gene on yeast chromosome VIII. Plasmids containing ars2 and the ARG4 gene transform yeast arg4 mutants to ARG4+ with high frequency (about 103 transformants/micrograms DNA) and replicate autonomously in the transformed cells. The ars2 plasmids are mitotically unstable and are readily lost from yeast cultures when grown under nonselective conditions. The addition of a DNA segment containing functional yeast centromere (CEN3) and an ars2 plasmid effectively stabilizes the plasmid against both mitotic and meiotic loss. The ars2-CEN3 minichromosomes replicate autonomously in controlled copy number while segregating in a typical Mendelian pattern (2+ :2-) during meiosis. The requirement for a separate replicator sequence for stable mitotic and meiotic maintenance of centromere-containing minichromosomes is equally satisfied by the presence of either ars1 or ars2. The centromere controls plasmid copy number to a low value (usually one) regardless of the type of replicator used.
Radon-222 and radium-226 in southeastern Bering Sea shelf waters and sediment

Abstract Radon-222 and 226Ra activities were measured in the waters and sediment of the southeastern Bering Sea shelf to evaluate the use of radon as a tracer of gas exchange, water column mixing and sediment-water exchange. Cross-shelf distributions of 222Rn and 226Ra are presented. Gas transfer coefficients were estimated using near-surface 222Rn deficiency measurements. A statistically significant linear relationship between averaged wind speed and transfer coefficient was found. Vertical eddy diffusivities were evaluated by applying a one-dimensional model to near-bottom excess222Rn distributions; these diffusivities were compared to independently determined values. The one-dimensional model applied to the near-bottom222Rn data was found to be inadequate and a two-dimensional model was applied to improve the fit between model and data. Exchange across the sediment-water interface was computed from the deficiency of 222Rn measured in sediment cores, standing crop estimates of excess 222Rn in the water column and 222Rn production rates of sediment surface grab samples. Biological irrigation of the sediments appeared to be the primary exchange mechanism between the sediment and water columns. Distributions in the water column showed finestructure reported previously and suggested biological removal of 226Ra.
Roton excitations in high-Tc superconductors

Abstract The nature of elementary thermal excitations in high-T c superconductors is considered in view of the fact that the phase transition at T c and a few degrees below has been shown to have the same universality class as the XY model and the helium λ-transition. Those transitions have been shown to be driven by thermally excited vortex loops, and the smallest loops excited at low temperatures have been identified as the roton excitations of superfluid helium. The analogous excitations in high-T c materials were first recognized by Friedel, being the smallest vortex loops with diameters determined by the coherence length and the CuO plane spacing. Near T c longer loops are excited, made up of parallel and perpendicular vortex segments that are elliptical in shape below T c , but which become circular at T c as the anisotropy becomes irrelevant. These loops may provide a simple explanation of infrared reflectivity results, where an excitation was observed whose energy remained finite as T c was approached, while the superfluid conducting fraction in the planes dropped smoothly to zero. This is precisely the same behavior observed in liquid helium, where the energy of the smallest loops (the rotons) is unrenormalized and remains finite at T λ , whereas the superfluid density is driven smoothly to zero by the largest loops.
Glove permeation by propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate — a photoresist solvent used in semiconductor device processing

Abstract Propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA) has been introduced as a replacement solvent for ethylene glycol ethers and ether acetates in photoresist formulations used in semiconductor processing. While PGMEA does not exhibit the adverse reproductive health effects found with the structurally related ethylene glycol derivatives, it is nevertheless readily absorbed through the skin, and proper protection against dermal absorption is warranted. This article describes the results of permeation tests of several glove materials commonly used in semiconductor fabrication facilities when challenged with PGMEA. Glove permeation was tested at 25 and 37°C according to the ASTM F739-85 permeation test method. The effects of repeated exposure and postexposure thermal decontamination on permeation resistance were also examined for one type of glove. Of the gloves tested, those composed of butyl rubber afforded the highest level of protection against PGMEA, with no breakthrough being observed after more ...
The efficacy of aquatic exercise in increasing strength

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of aquatic exercise in increasing strength. Eighteen volunteers participated. The aquatic exercise group consisted of three males and eight females (n= 11; mean age 27.2 (±4.8) years). The control group consisted of one male and six females (n= 7; mean age 31.1 (±5.9) years). The concentric peak torque for both groups was tested on an isokinetic dynamometer prior to and following the eight week aquatic exercise program. Peak torque (N · m) was determined for right knee (flexion and extension), elbow (flexion and extension), and shoulder (abduction and adduction) for all subjects at 90, 120, and 180 degrees ‐s−1. Strength improvement occurred only in the aquatic exercise group. Further research is indicated in which the exercise session itself or the training period continues longer with serial strength measures to evaluate the pattern of response in strength gain from aquatic activity.
Barriers to working with impaired trainees: A resident's viewpoint

Psychiatric trainees and educators alike know that significant impairment may occur during training. Although psychiatry programs can do much to identify, treat, and prevent traineee impairment, barriers that may hinder programs from adequately addressing the problems of the impaired trainee continue to exist. These barriers include stigmatization and rejection of the impaired trainee, lack of focus on primary prevention, problematic supervisor-resident relationships, and trainee resistance to intervention. An atmosphere of candor and support, impairment-related seminars, and informed and alert supervisors can be helpful in easing the stress of training and reducing trainee impairment.
Metabolism of valine in rat skeletal muscle mitochondria

Abstract Metabolism of physiological concentrations of valine was studied in mitochondria from mixed skeletal muscle and isolated soleus muscle to extend knowledge of the mechanism by which the leucine-induced branched-chain amino acid antagonism depresses valine and isoleucine concentrations in plasma and tissues. Measurements were made of flux of valine through muscle branched-chain aminotransferase and branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKD) and reamination of α-ketoisocaproate (KIC). Concentrations of KIC from 0.05–1.0 m m stimulated transamination of valine. Low concentrations of KIC stimulated valine oxidation in both preparations. However, concentrations above 0.5 m m diminished the rates of CO2 evolution from valine. Inclusion in the assay medium of graded levels of leucine (as a potential source of KIC) depressed valine oxidation through competitive inhibition with valine for transamination in muscle mitochondria. Increasing the BCKD capacity of in vitro preparations by including liver and muscle mitochondria together did not alteviate this inhibition. In contrast, valine oxidation by soleus muscle was stimulated by both leucine and KIC. Addition of [1-14C] KIC in the medium resulted in stimulation of KIC oxidation in both intact and detergent-treated mitochondria. Addition of 0.2 m m valine increased the reamination of KIC to leucine. This can explain in part the high plasma and tissue leucine values, and the decrease in valine, and probably isoleucine, concentrations in animals fed with high leucine diets.
Teaching aspiring professors to be ethical teachers: Doing justice to the case study method.

Case studies are important tools for helping students apply general ethical principles to their future activities as teachers. We present 4 cases that stimulate classroom discussion of critical ethical issues faced by teachers. The approach avoids some of the pitfalls of the case study method by including variations for each case a d by highlighting the principle of perceived justice that underlies a variety of intances and dilemmas. We include counterarguments and commentaries for each case.
A modular approach for the generation, storage, mixing, and detection of droplet libraries for high throughput screening

The desire to make microfluidic technology more accessible to the biological research community has led to the notion of ‘‘modular microfluidics’’, where users can build a fluidic system using a toolkit of building blocks. This paper applies a modular approach for performing droplet-based screening, including the four integral steps of library generation, storage, mixing, and optical interrogation. Commercially available cross-junctions are used for drop generation, flexible capillary tubing for storage, and tee-junctions for serial mixing. Optical interrogation of the drops is achieved using fiberoptic detection modules which can be incorporated inline at one or more points in the system. Modularity enables the user to hand-assemble systems for functional assays or applications. Three examples are shown: (1) a ‘‘mix and read’’ assay commonly used in high throughput screening (HTS); (2) generation of chemically distinct droplets using microfractionation in droplets (mFD); and (3) in situ encapsulation and culture of eukaryotes. Using components with IDs ranging from 150 mm to 1.5 mm, this approach can accommodate drop assays with volumes ranging from 2 nL to 2 mL, and storage densities ranging from 300 to 3000 drops per metre tubing. Generation rates are up to 200 drops per second and merging rates are up to 10 drops per second. The impact of length scale, carrier fluid viscosity, and flow rates on system performance is considered theoretically and illustratively using 2D CFD simulations. Due to its flexibility, the widespread availability of components, and some favorable material properties compared to PDMS, this approach can be a useful part of a researcher’s toolkit for prototyping droplet-based assays.
Cloning, Expression, and Immunogenicity of Flavobacterium columnare Heat Shock Protein DnaJ

Abstract The Flavobacterium columnare heat shock protein (HSP) gene dnaJ* was isolated, cloned, expressed, and used as an antigen in a recombinant vaccine strategy for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. The F. columnare dnaJ* sequence was obtained from genomovars I and II and showed intraspecies variability. Recombinant protein was expressed and purified from Escherichia coli cultures and injected intraperitoneally (12 μg of purified DnaJ/fish) into fingerling channel catfish. In addition, induced (expressing the recombinant DnaJ) and uninduced (no recombinant protein being produced) E. coli cultures were also used to immunize fish. At 28 d postimmunization, antibody response was evaluated and the fish were challenged with F. columnare. A specific immune response against DnaJ was observed in fish immunized with DnaJ or E. coli cultures expressing DnaJ. No protection against the disease, however, was observed in F. columnare-challenged fish that had been immunized with DnaJ. Some level of protection was ...
Observation of local and conjugate ionospheric perturbations from individual oceanic lightning flashes

Very low frequency (VLF) remote sensing observations of multifaceted local and conjugate ionospheric perturbations from geographically identified and well-characterized oceanic lightning discharges are presented for the first time. Lightning-induced electron precipitation (LEP) events are shown to produce disturbances first in the conjugate hemisphere and subsequently in the hemisphere of the causative lightning discharge in agreement with theoretical predictions. A rough threshold peak current of ∼100 kA is identified for lightning discharges to generate LEP events for the geomagnetic conditions present during observations. The occurrence of early VLF events and the subsequent duration of their recovery do not seem to fit any simple metric of lightning discharge peak current or proximity to great circle path. Knowledge of the full spectral density of the lightning electromagnetic pulse, not just its peak current, and the subionospheric mode structure are likely necessary to determine if a specific lightning discharge will generate an early VLF perturbation.
Needs of the Elderly and the Politics of Health Care The Social Context of Changes in the Delivery System

The emergence of the elderly as a substantial subgroup within the population has been identified as signaling a crisis for the health care system. This article places recent changes in health care financing for the elderly in the context of biomedical, demographic, and social factors. These factors, in turn, are related to the larger economic and political structures that have shaped our national health care policies and programs. Current policies and programs are inadequate in meeting the needs of the elderly because they provide a limited array of services. This article also examines how the needs of the elderly have been portrayed to support age-based entitlements to limited health care coverage, irrespective of need across age strata. Physical therapists can use their understanding of the genesis of particular public policies to assist in developing a health care system that is responsive to the needs of all members of society.
A compact dual-port diversity antenna for handheld devices

This paper presents a compact integrated dualport diversity antenna for LTE (long term evolution) applications in future handheld devices. The antenna design merges two PIFAs (planar inverted F-shaped antennas) into one which not only occupies less areas, but also doesn't require separation of two individual antenna elements while still maintaining good isolation and diversity characteristics. The proposed design can be utilized in compact wireless communication handheld devices to provide diversity signals or act as a duplexer allowing the receive and the transmit signals to be well isolated. A typical design, which armed at 2.6 GHz LTE/WiFA application bands (2.5 to 2.7 GHz), is implemented. The simulated and experimental results including S-parameters, radiation patterns and signal correlation have demonstrated the validation of the proposed antenna design for future multiple antenna mobile devices.
Behavioral, social, and affective factors associated with self-efficacy for self-management among people with epilepsy

The purpose of the study described in this article was to evaluate the extent to which selected behavioral, social, and affective factors contribute to self-reported epilepsy self-efficacy. Participants completed three assessments 3 months apart, with only those completing both the first and second assessments included in this analysis. Self-efficacy scores at the second assessment were regressed on the behavioral, social, and affective characteristics ascertained at the first assessment. The analysis revealed that self-management, depressive symptoms, and seizure severity explain the most variance in self-efficacy; patient satisfaction and stigma are less important predictors; and social support and regimen-specific support are not significant predictors. The results provide direction for identifying people with low levels of self-efficacy and highlighting areas that might help enhance self-efficacy in persons with epilepsy.
Fine-needle aspiration of intrapancreatic accessory spleen: Cytomorphologic features and differential diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Intrapancreatic accessory spleen (IPAS) is a rare benign lesion of the pancreas that frequently clinically and radiographically mimics a solid neoplasm. Very rarely, epidermoid cysts may form in IPAS and be mistaken for a cystic neoplasm of the pancreas on radiographic imaging. IPAS and epidermoid cyst involving intrapancreatic cyst (ECIPAS) are benign, and, if recognized, do not require surgical intervention. There are few reports of the cytopathologic features of IPAS diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA). METHODS: Here we report a series of 6 cases of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided FNA of IPAS, 3 of which had histological confirmation, including 1 case of histologically confirmed ECIPAS. RESULTS: Cytomorphologic features of IPAS include a polymorphous population of hematopoietic cells, including lymphocytes, eosinophils, histiocytes, plasma cells, and red blood cells, admixed with numerous small blood vessels representing splenic sinusoids. CD8 immunostaining of cell block or core biopsy material highlights splenic endothelial cells and confirms the diagnosis. FNA of ECIPAS reveals predominantly macrophages and proteinaceous debris. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic pitfalls include pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. If IPAS is recognized as a diagnostic consideration on EUS-FNA, unnecessary surgical resection may be avoided. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2012;120:261-8. V C 2012 American Cancer Society. Accessory spleens are estimated to be present in approximately 10% of the general population and 15%20% of accessory spleens are present in the pancreatic tail, 1 as portions of splenic tissue become trapped in the dorsal pancreatic bud during embryologic development. IPASs are benign and do not require surgical intervention unless the spleen is involved by a secondary process such as lymphoma or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The fine-needle aspiration (FNA) findings of intrapancreatic accessory spleen (IPAS) have rarely been reported. 2-4 Epidermoid cyst in an IPAS (ECIPAS) was first reported by Davidson et al 5 in 1980, and fewer than 25 cases have been reported in the English literature. 6-10 The FNA findings of a histopathologically confirmed ECIPAS have not been previously described to our knowledge. With the increased use of imaging for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of many conditions, as well as use of multiphase computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with improved contrast and spatial resolution, the incidental detection of masses in many organs, including pancreas, has
Automatically identifying changes that impact code-to-design traceability

An approach is presented that automatically determines if a given source code change impacts the design (i.e., UML class diagram) of the system. This allows code-to-design traceability to be consistently maintained as the source code evolves. The approach uses lightweight analysis and syntactic differencing of the source code changes to determine if the change alters the class diagram in the context of abstract design. The intent is to support both the simultaneous updating of design documents with code changes and bringing old design documents up to date with current code given the change history. An efficient tool was developed to support the approach and is applied to an open source system (i.e., HippoDraw). The results are evaluated and compared against manual inspection by human experts. The tool performs better than (error prone) manual inspection.
Patriarchy Matters: Toward a Gendered Theory of Teen Violence and Victimization

This article explores the role that the sex-gender system plays in shaping both the violence and victimization of girls. Taking first the issue of girls' violence, the article argues that steep increases in girls' arrests are not the product of girls becoming more like boys. Instead, forms of girls' minor violence that were once ignored are now being criminalized. Shifting gears, the article explores how "gender-neutral" relabeling of girls' victimization in schools, a site of much violence against girls, is extremely problematic. Renaming "sexual harassment" as "bullying" tends to psychopathologize gender violence while simultaneously stripping girl victims of powerful legal rights and remedies. To illustrate this latter point, a "model" antibullying program, The Bullying Prevention Program, is reviewed. Offering a one-size-fits-all view of bullying, it assumes all bullying can be approached psychologically or relationally, thereby minimizing the structural underpinnings of such behavior.
Does biodiversity make a difference? Relationships between species richness, evolutionary diversity, and aboveground live tree biomass across U.S. forests.

Biodiversity conveys numerous functional benefits to forested ecosystems, including community stability and resilience. In the context of managing forests for climate change mitigation/adaptation, maximizing and/or maintaining aboveground biomass will require understanding the interactions between tree biodiversity, site productivity, and the stocking of live trees. Species richness may not be the most appropriate tree biodiversity metric in this context as it weights all species as equally important. Measures that account for evolutionary relationships among species should be more biologically meaningful surrogates of functional diversity within forest communities, given that more phylogenetically distinct species should contribute more to the diversity of traits within a community. Using data from approximately 79,000 permanent and standardized forest inventory plots across the United States, we assessed trends in live aboveground tree biomass (LAGB) in relation to metrics of forest tree biodiversity at national and regional scales, controlling for site productivity and live tree stocking. These metrics included four measures of evolutionary diversity associated with distinct components of functional variation. In certain situations and locations across the U.S., evolutionary diversity metrics supply additional information about forest stands beyond that provided by simple species richness counts. This information can potentially include critical insight into tree functional attributes inherently related to evolutionary diversity. Relationships nationally between LAGB and most biodiversity metrics weakened with increasing site productivity and with increasing live tree stocking: The greater the site productivity and tree stocking, the less likely that higher biodiversity was associated with greater LAGB. This is consistent with the expectation that the coexistence of functionally different species increases forest productivity in less productive and more stressful environments, while dominant and highly productive species are able to competitively dominate in more productive habitats. Phylogenetic species clustering (PSC) was increasingly correlated with LAGB as live tree stocking increased on low-productivity sites, suggesting that the co-occurrence of tree species more widely distributed across the phylogenetic tree of life, and therefore likely possessing a wider variety of functional attributes, resulted in greater biomass accumulation on poorer sites. PSC and species richness appear to be the best biodiversity predictors for LAGB on the low-productivity sites likely to be most important for carbon/biomass management. These biodiversity metrics will be important for maximizing biomass/carbon for future carbon sequestration or bioenergy needs and should serve as indicators of forest function in forest resource assessments.
THE ROLE OF GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY IN SOME ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Diagnosticians and psychotherapists have benefited enormously from the collaboration of sociologists and psychologists in studying such questions as the impact of parental divorce on children, the impact of changing moral standards on individual psychopathology, and the impact of death in the family on surviving members. Sociology, social psychiatry and social psychology have consistently provided a necessary reminder to the therapeutic professions that not all problems are intrapsychically determined; man is a social animal also. Psychoanalysis, on the other hand, presses us to consider the complexity and subtlety of the unconscious compromises man makes with himself and with society. The clinician must consider the people he wishes to understand and help against the background of insights and information provided by these differing theoretical orientations. His obligation is to attempt to assess the contribution of social factors and intrapsychic conflict to the current state of the patient who presents himself for treatment. The purpose of this paper is to consider the interaction of a sociological factor: geographic mobility, and a psychological factor: some degree of neurotic illness, and their varying effects on family adjustment. Because effects can vary so widely, we have often been puzzled
Nitro-Group Functionalization of Dopamine and its Contribution to the Viscoelastic Properties of Catechol-Containing Nanocomposite Hydrogels

Linear polyacrylamide (PAAm) is modified with dopamine or nitrodopamine (PAAm-D and PAAm-ND, respectively) to evaluate the effect of nitro-group modification on the interfacial binding properties of polymer-bound catechol. Nanocomposite hydrogels are prepared by mixing PAAm-based polymers with Laponite and the viscoelastic properties of these materials are determined using oscillatory rheometry. The incorporation of a small amount of catechol (≈0.1 wt% in swollen hydrogel) drastically increases the shear moduli by 1-2 orders of magnitude over those of the catechol-free control. Additionally, PAAm-ND exhibits higher shear moduli values than PAAm-D across the whole pH range tested (pH 3.0-9.0). Based on the calculated effective crosslinking density, effective functionality, and molecular weight between crosslinks, nitro-group functionalization of dopamine results in a polymer network with increased crosslinking density and crosslinking points with higher functionality. Nitro-functionalization enhances the interfacial binding property of dopamine and increases its resistant to oxidation, which results in nanocomposite hydrogels with enhanced stiffness and a viscous dissipation property.
A semianalytic meshless approach to the transient Fokker–Planck equation

Abstract In this paper, a semianalytic partition of unity finite element method (PUFEM) is presented to solve the transient Fokker–Planck equation (FPE) for high-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems. Meshless spatial discretization of PUFEM with local p -refinement (discussed in a previous paper) is employed to develop linear ordinary differential equations for the time varying coefficients of local shape functions. A similarity transformation to modal coordinates is shown to reveal numerous spurious modes in the eigenspace of the discretized FPE operator. Identification and elimination of these modes leads to an analytical solution of ODEs obtained from spatial discretization in terms of the remaining admissible modes, and a significant reduction in the size of the discretized transient problem. Initial equation error resulting from the set of admissible modes is shown to be an upper bound for all time, meaning that the reduced admissible set is sufficient for the FPE approximation for all time.
Health Impact of Measles Vaccination in the United States

As a result of intensive efforts to vaccinate children, measles and its attendant complications of encephalitis and death have declined more than 99% from the prevaccine era. Similarly, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis has declined markedly. Measles vaccine has been demonstrated to be extremely safe, as well as extremely effective. The health and resource benefits due to vaccination against measles during the first 20 years of vaccine licensure have been enormous. In this period it is estimated that vaccination against measles has prevented 52 million cases, 5,200 deaths, and 17,400 cases of mental retardation, achieving a net savings of $5.1 billion. These substantial health and resource benefits of measles vaccination will continue to accrue in the future.
Climate response to regional radiative forcing during the twentieth century

Regional climate change can arise from three different effects: regional changes to the amount of radiative heating that reaches the Earth’s surface, an inhomogeneous response to globally uniform changes in radiative heating and variability without a specific forcing. The relative importance of these effects is not clear, particularly because neither the response to regional forcings nor the regional forcings themselves are well known for the twentieth century. Here we investigate the sensitivity of regional climate to changes in carbon dioxide, black carbon aerosols, sulphate aerosols and ozone in the tropics, mid-latitudes and polar regions, using a coupled ocean–atmosphere model. We find that mid- and high-latitude climate is quite sensitive to the location of the forcing. Using these relationships between forcing and response along with observations of twentieth century climate change, we reconstruct radiative forcing from aerosols in space and time. Our reconstructions broadly agree with historical emissions estimates, and can explain the differences between observed changes in Arctic temperatures and expectations from non-aerosol forcings plus unforced variability. We conclude that decreasing concentrations of sulphate aerosols and increasing concentrations of black carbon have substantially contributed to rapid Arctic warming during the past three decades. The relative importance of regional and global changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas and aerosol concentrations for regional changes in climate is not well known. A climate model analysis of tropical, mid-latitude and polar regions shows that the extratropics and, in particular, the Arctic region are sensitive to local changes in radiative forcing.
Characterization of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors on human megakaryocytes and platelets

Vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor I (VIPRI) expression was examined in megakaryocytes using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). VIPRI protein was characterized in platelet membranes using covalent crosslinking techniques. Human megakaryocytes were isolated from suspension cultures of cord blood and adult bone marrow mononuclear cells using a murine monoclonal antibody to human platelet glycoprotein IIB/IIIA (CD41) and immunomagnetic beads. RT-PCR primers were constructed for the VIP, VIPRI, and VIPRII genes as well as for megakaryocyte specific genes, c-mpl and platelet factor 4 (PF-4). VIP, VIPRI, c-mpl, and PF-4 were coexpressed in megakaryocyte mRNA. Southern blot analysis confirmed the expression of VIPRI. 125I-VIP was covalently cross-linked to human platelet membranes using the homobifunctional reagent disuccinimidyl suberate, followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. A 125I-VIP-protein complex of Mr = 50,000 was identified. Labeling of the Mr = 50,000 component was completely abolished by unlabeled VIP, but not by peptide histidine methionine or growth hormone releasing factor, indicating specific binding of VIP to the platelet membranes. Taken together, these results suggest that VIP may have direct effects on megakaryocytopoiesis and support our earlier observations of VIP modulation of platelet aggregation.