cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Without Optimism: Sex, Žižek, and Apocalyptic Queerness

There are clear parallels between Žižek's concept of apocalyptic experience without teleology, and Berlant and Edelman's "sex without optimism." Both readings point to a negativity at the heart of human experience and the need to reliquish all our teleological aspirations. The apocalpytic experience should be taken in its original sense, as a "revelation," but a revelation of the incoherence of the social order and its demands on the (barred) Subject. This non-telelogical experience can be illustrated by contrasting the works of Homer with Virgil's Aeneid . In the Homeric world the incoherence of the social order, represented by the incoherent and conflicting demands of the gods is in sharp contrast to the teleological order displayed in The Aeneid .
External Snapping Hip

External snapping hip is characterized by snapping of the hip in association with hip motion.
Risk Estimate for Genetic Effects

It is not my intention to reinvent the wheel in this presentation, but perhaps I can straighten a few spokes, here and there. I have been a member of both the National Academy’s BEIR and CCEM committees concerning risk from ionizing radiation (National Research Council, 1972, 1980) and environmental chemical mutagens (National Research Council, 1983) and will provide a general summary of approaches used in their reports. In the case of radiation, Bender, Denniston, Schull and myself have recently prepared a detailed risk report for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s updated reactor safety study and so I also will incorporate major elements of that unpublished report into this discussion.
The Impact of Carrier Delocalization and Interfacial Electric Field Fluctuations on Organic Photovoltaics

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices hold a great deal of promise for the emerging solar market. However, to unlock this promise, it is necessary to understand how OPV devices generate free charges. Here, we analyze the energetics and charge delocalization of the interfacial charges in poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)/PCBM devices. We find that, in the PPV system, the interface does not produce molecular disorder, but an interfacial electric field is formed upon the inclusion of environmental polarization that promotes charge separation. In contrast, the P3HT system shows a significant driving force for charge separation due to interfacial disorder confining the hole. However, this feature is overpowered by the polarization of the electronic environment, which generates a field that inhibits charge separation. In the two systems studied herein, electrostatic effects dominate charge separation, overpowering interfacia...
Ultraconserved Enhancers Are Required for Normal Development.

Non-coding "ultraconserved" regions containing hundreds of consecutive bases of perfect sequence conservation across mammalian genomes can function as distant-acting enhancers. However, initial deletion studies in mice revealed that loss of such extraordinarily constrained sequences had no immediate impact on viability. Here, we show that ultraconserved enhancers are required for normal development. Focusing on some of the longest ultraconserved sites genome wide, located near the essential neuronal transcription factor Arx, we used genome editing to create an expanded series of knockout mice lacking individual or combinations of ultraconserved enhancers. Mice with single or pairwise deletions of ultraconserved enhancers were viable and fertile but in nearly all cases showed neurological or growth abnormalities, including substantial alterations of neuron populations and structural brain defects. Our results demonstrate the functional importance of ultraconserved enhancers and indicate that remarkably strong sequence conservation likely results from fitness deficits that appear subtle in a laboratory setting.
Desulfurization-Related Surface Chemistry on Two-Dimensional Silica Films: Adsorption of Thiophene and Short-Chain Alkanes on Silicatene

The kinetics of thiophene and alkane adsorption on silicatene (i.e., on two-dimensional atomically thin and crystalline silica films) was studied by employing (multimass) thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) at ultrahigh vacuum. The monoatomic SiO2 film is grown on a Mo(112) support. Thiophene is a standard probe molecule for hydrodesulfurization (HDS); alkanes typically form as reaction products; Mo is a catalyst for HDS. The samples were characterized by Auger electron spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction as well as the silica film additionally by water TDS. The silicatene film is hydrophobic. All probe molecules adsorbed nondissociatively on silicatene. Two TDS peaks in the monolayer range are evident as well as a condensation structure. Thiophene binds with 42.6 ± 0.5 kJ/mol in the limit of zero coverage. Using a Redhead analysis and assumed pre-exponential of 1 × 1013/s, the (low coverage) binding energy of the alkanes (isobutane, n-pentane, and n-heptane) increases from 34.1 to 46.8 (±0...
Synthesis of ZnO nanoarrays on carbon fibers using combined atomic layer deposition and hydrothermal methods

The paper presents the synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoarrays on carbon fiber fabrics using the combined atomic layer deposition (ALD) and hydrothermal methods. A conformal ZnO seed layer was first synthesized using the ALD method on carbon fiber surfaces, then characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). ZnO nanoarrays were grown on the carbon fibers using the hydrothermal method. The morphology of ZnO nanoarrays in the form of nanowires and nanorods was controlled by adjusting hydrothermal synthesis parameters, including the concentration of chemical reagents and solution temperature. The FESEM characterization showed that the synthesized ZnO nanowires and nanorods had a wurtzite structure and uniformity distributed on the surface of carbon fibers. The length to diameter ratios of the ZnO nanoarrays were controlled between 44 and 270. The thermogravimetric analysis tests showed that the growth of ZnO nanoarrays added about 10% additional weight to the carbon fibers.
Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids ( Catharanthus Alkaloids)

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview on the production of indole alkaloids by Catharanthus plant cell cultures, and gives special attention to the enzymatic regulation of synthesis. The preservation of genetic information on callus formation is an important prerequisite for the possible production of the alkaloids in tissue culture. Biosynthesis of the alkaloids takes place in the leaf and biosynthetic regulation of alkaloid formation is performed on organized, rather than callus, tissue. There are three novel culture systems that eliminate the need to cultivate cells in two successive media for the production of indole alkaloids. An important factor for the commercial production of secondary metabolites by tissue culture methods is the retention of high levels of product formation capability in selected cell lines. Various strategies have been proposed for the maintenance of high yields, such as repeated selection for high-yielding clones, preservation of high-yielding clones by cultivation as slower-growing callus, or cryopreservation of productive cells.
Temperature and Treatment Time Influence High Hydrostatic Pressure Inactivation of Feline Calicivirus, a Norovirus Surrogate

Interest in high hydrostatic pressure processing as a nonthermal pasteurization process for foods continues to increase. Feline calicivirus (FCV), a propagable virus that is genetically related to the nonpropagable human noroviruses, was used for detailed evaluation of the high pressure processing parameters necessary for virus inactivation. Pressure inactivation curves of FCV strain KCD in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium with 10% fetal bovine serum were obtained at 200 and 250 MPa as a function of time at room temperature. Pressure inactivation curves at 200 and 250 MPa also were determined as a function of temperature ranging from --10 to 50 degrees C at treatment times of 4 and 2 min, respectively. Tailing was observed for inactivation as a function of treatment time, indicating that the linear model was not adequate for describing these curves. The two nonlinear models, the log logistic and Weibull functions, consistently produced better fit to inactivation curves than did the linear model. The mean square errors were 0.381 for the log logistic model, 0.425 for the Weibull model, and 1.546 for the linear model. For inactivation as a function of temperature, FCV was most resistant to pressure at 20 degrees C. Temperatures above and below 20 degrees C significantly increased pressure inactivation of FCV. A 4-min treatment of 200 MPa at --10 and 50 degrees C reduced the titer of FCV by 5.0 and 4.0 log units, respectively; whereas at 20 degrees C the same treatment only reduced the titer by 0.3 log units. These novel results point to the potential for using temperatures above and particularly below room temperature to lower the pressure needed to cause the desired level of virus inactivation.
Of stars, planets and life

No matter how we travel to the stars, we must learn all we can about the environments surrounding these distant suns. Only then can we dispatch out robot proxies or begin outfitting the ships to be occupied by humanity’s first interstellar pioneers.
Seasonal Variation in Particulate Flux in an Offshore Area Adjacent to Coastal Upwelling

Successive sediment trap deployments were made over a two-year period at a site 360 km west of Cape Mendocino (39.5°N, 128°W). In the final deployment, the shallowest trap was equipped with a sample changer which provided three consecutive samples during the spring and summer of 1981 in order to study possible seasonal variations due to the influence of coastal upwelling. Biogenic flux data point to increasing productivity at the site from mid-March through the end of August, 1981. The ratio of opal flux to carbonate flux increases from spring to a mid-summer maximum. Radiolarians dominate the spring opal flux, whereas diatoms are the major contributors to opal flux in the mid and late summer. Changes in the distributions of three silicoflagellate species suggest colder temperatures occur in mid to late summer. Upwelling at the latitude of our mooring is greatest in midsummer. Although upwelling occurs near the coast, colder water, possibly with higher nutrient levels, can be advected rapidly offshore in the form of surface plumes. Satellite images from April through July, 1981, reveal at least three plumes crossing our area during the period June 21-July 29. These cold water plumes extended from Cape Mendocino to the mooring location. The occurrence of such plume events can explain the flux patterns and changes in other indicators recorded during the spring-summer period by our multiple sampling sediment trap.
A Stochastic Game Analysis of Incentives and Behavioral Barriers in Chronic Disease Management

Chronic diseases can be prevented or mitigated by changing the behavior of patients and physicians. Incentives are one of the mechanisms to motivate such change. We present a two-player, multiperio...
Does degree completion improve non-cognitive skills during early adulthood and adulthood?

Abstract Introduction Non-cognitive skills, particularly in terms of risk-aversion, future-orientation, and conscientiousness, grow with age, and this phenomenon is known as personality maturation. However, significant variability in maturation among individuals exists. The technology of cognitive/non-cognitive skill formation suggests that the growth of non-cognitive skills is contingent on cognitive skills or human capital in general. The completion of formal education is a quintessential form of human capital. The aim of this study is to test whether formal education indeed facilitates the improvement of non-cognitive skills during early adulthood and adulthood.] Methods I used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The study sample consists of 9291 individuals, representative of U.S. adolescents in grades 7 through 12 in 1994. The longitudinal design of the data allowed the repeated measurement of their non-cognitive skills in adolescence (age 25). I used Latent Score Difference modeling to examine whether advancement in formal education through degree completion predicts within-individual change in non-cognitive skills in early adulthood and adulthood. Results A steady increase in non-cognitive skills beyond adolescence was found. Independently of academic engagement during high school, parental socio-economic status, and adolescent non-cognitive skills, degree completion reported in early adulthood coincides with gains in non-cognitive skills since adolescence, and this positive feedback repeats itself in adulthood. Conclusions Continued schooling facilitates personality maturation beyond adolescence. Given the profound effects of non-cognitive skills on various life outcomes, educational opportunities could alleviate social stratification.
Type I Posterior Glottic Stenosis: Natural History and In-Office Management.

Objectives:To review the natural history of type I posterior glottic stenosis (PGS-I) and its treatment outcomes through a case presentation and demonstrate the feasibility of in-office management ...
Evolution of Heterogeneous Systems

In this chapter, we apply the ideas of the previous chapters to the dynamics of heterogeneous systems and obtain the celebrated time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation (TDGLE) of the order parameter evolution. This equation was applied to various heterogeneous states of the system. Application of TDGLE to an equilibrium state shows that the criteria of the dynamic and local thermodynamic stability coincide. In case of a plane interface, TDGLE yields a traveling wave solution with a finite thickness and specific speed proportional to the deviation of the system from equilibrium. The drumhead approximation of this equation reveals different driving forces exerted on a moving interface and allows us to study evolution of droplets of a new phase. We extend the definition of the interfacial energy into the nonequilibrium domain of the thermodynamic parameters (phase diagram). We analyze growth dynamics of the anti-phase domains using results of FTM and the Allen-Cahn self-similarity hypothesis. The analysis reveals the coarsening regime of evolution, which was observed experimentally.
Targeting Chemokine Receptors in Allergy

Allergic and asthmatic diseases stubbornly plague a growing number of Americans and the clinical cost of treating these diseases shows no sign of abating. Persistent peribronchial inflammation (consisting primarily of eosinophils and mononuclear cells) and airway hyperresponsiveness to various stimuli (either antigen-specific or nonspecific) are key features of asthma. Despite concerted efforts in this regard, the mechanisms that lead to the initiation and chronicity of allergic airway inflammation during asthma remain poorly understood. Consequently, the development of inflammation-specific therapeutic interventions for this disorder have proved challenging, but necessary, in light of the fact that the anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids diminish with continual use and may not eliminate the airway remodeling features associated with asthma. Recent clinical and basic research suggests that targeting chemokines and/or chemokine receptors shows promise in the treatment of asthma and asthma-like diseases.
The incidence and pattern of renal cell carcinoma recurrence after robotic partial nephrectomy

Background: Robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) is a rapidly growing treatment for small renal mass (SRM). In fact, RPN has shown good functional and oncologic outcome. In this manuscript, we are reporting on the incidence and pattern of recurrence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with RPN. Patients and Methods: We reviewed prospectively collected data of patients who underwent RPN between September 2009 and March 2018. We selected patients with final pathologic diagnosis of RCC after the resection of their SRM. We described the incidence and pattern of recurrence in the patients who had it. Results: A total of 335 patients with SRM underwent RPN. We found 269 patients to have RCC on the final pathologic evaluation of the SRM. Eight cases of recurrence were found with a recurrence rate of 2.9% after the mean follow-up period of 31 months (range 18–72). The pattern of recurrence presented as follows: two patients (0.7%) had trocar site recurrence (TSR), one patient (0.37%) had locoregional recurrence, and three patients (1.1%) had recurrence of the disease at the resection bed. Two patients (0.7%) developed second primary tumor in the other kidney. No cancer-related mortality occurred during the follow-up period. Conclusion: TSR, locoregional recurrence, tumor bed recurrence, and contralateral tumor development are observed patterns of RCC recurrence after RPN. Recurrence was seen in up to 72 months. RPN provides great cancer control and high cure rate when utilized to treat RCC presenting as SRM.
A Novel Control Structure Integrated for SRF Four Wire Active Power Filter for Reduction of Harmonics

In this paper a novel control structure is proposed controlling a three-phase, four-wire active power filter for reduction of harmonic content in a grid system. The grid system considered for the analysis is connected with unbalanced non-linear loads using diode bridge rectifiers. The control structure employed is represented as the synchronous reference frame method which makes the active power filter operate in synchronization with the grid. The complete analysis is carried out in the MATLAB Simulink environment with THD measuring using the FFT analysis tool.
The influence of the probability density function on spectral quality in nonuniformly sampled multidimensional NMR.

Abstract The goal of nonuniform sampling (NUS) is to select a subset of free induction decays (FIDs) from the conventional, uniform grid in a manner that sufficiently samples short evolution times needed for improved sensitivity and long evolution times needed for enhanced resolution. In addition to specifying the number of FIDs to be collected from a uniform grid, NUS schemes also specify the distribution of the selected FIDs, which directly impacts sampling-induced artifacts. Sampling schemes typically address these heuristic guidelines by utilizing a probability density function (PDF) to bias the distribution of sampled evolution times. Given this common approach, schemes differentiate themselves by how the evolution times are distributed within the envelope of the PDF. Here, we employ maximum entropy reconstruction and utilize in situ receiver operating characteristic (IROC) to conduct a critical comparison of the sensitivity and resolution that can be achieved by three types of biased sampling schemes: exponential (PDF is exponentially decaying), Poisson-gap (PDF derived from a sine function), and quantile-directed (PDF defined by simple polynomial decay). This methodology reveals practical insights and trends regarding how the sampling schemes and bias can provide the highest sensitivity and resolution for two nonuniformly sampled dimensions in a three-dimensional biomolecular NMR experiment. The IROC analysis circumvents the limitations of common metrics when used with nonlinear spectral estimation (a characteristic of all methods used with NUS) by quantifying the spectral quality via synthetic signals that are added to the empirical dataset. Recovery of these synthetic signals provides a proxy for the quality of the empirical portion of the spectrum. The central finding is that differences in spectral quality are primarily driven by the strength of bias in the PDF. In addition, a sampling coverage threshold is observed that appears to be connected to the dependence of each NUS method on its random seed. The differences between sampling schemes and biases are most relevant below 20% coverage where seed-dependence is high, whereas at higher coverages, the performance metrics for all of the sampling schemes begin to converge and approach a seed-independent regime. The results presented here show that aggressive sampling at low coverage can produce high-quality spectra by employing a sampling scheme that adheres to a decaying PDF with a bias to a broad range of short evolution times and includes relatively few FIDs at long evolution times.
Mechanistic insights into copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of N–N bonds

Catalytic N-N coupling is a valuable transformation for chemical synthesis and energy conversion. Here, mechanistic studies are presented for two related copper-catalyzed oxidative aerobic N-N coupling reactions, one involving the synthesis of a pharmaceutically relevant triazole and the other relevant to the oxidative conversion of ammonia to hydrazine. Analysis of catalytic and stoichiometric N-N coupling reactions support an "oxidase"-type catalytic mechanism with two redox half-reactions: (1) aerobic oxidation of a CuI catalyst and (2) CuII-promoted N-N coupling. Both reactions feature turnover-limiting oxidation of CuI by O2, and this step is inhibited by the N-H substrate(s). The results highlight the unexpected facility of the N-N coupling step and establish a foundation for development of improved catalysts for these transformations.
The Impact of Climate Change on Airline Network Recoverability

This paper studies the impact of climate change-imposed constraints on the recoverability of airline networks. We first use models that capture the modified payload-range curves for different aircraft types under multiple climate change scenarios, and the associated (reduced) aircraft capacities. We next construct a modeling and algorithmic framework that allows for simultaneous and integrated aircraft and passenger recovery that explicitly capture the above-mentioned capacity changes in aircraft at different times of day. Our results, based on the RCP8.5 climate change scenario, suggest that daily total airline recovery costs increase on average by 25% to 56%; and by 10.6% to 165% over individual disrupted days -- depending on the original source of disruption, the climate change case of interest and year of interest. Aircraft-related costs are driven by a huge increase in aircraft swaps and cancellations; and passenger-related costs are driven by increases in disrupted (misconnected) passengers who need to be rebooked on the same or a different airline. Our work motivates the critical need for airlines to systematically incorporate climate change as a factor in the design of aircraft as well as in the design and operations of airline networks.
Hormonal contraceptive phases matter: Resting-state functional connectivity of emotion-processing regions under stress

Abstract Hormonal contraceptives (HCs) affect various processes related to emotion processing, including emotional memory, fear extinction, and the cortisol response to stress. Despite the modulating role of HCs on the stress response in women and variance in synthetic hormone levels across the HC cycle, little is known about the phase-related effects of HCs on the brain's response to stress. We investigated the effect of HC cycle phase on functional connectivity of memory- and emotion-related regions at rest after exposure to a stressor. Twenty HC users completed two sessions of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging after exposure to the cold pressor test, one during the hormone-present HC phase (when synthetic hormones are taken) and one during the hormone-absent HC phase (when synthetic hormones are not taken). Women showed higher functional connectivity between left amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during the hormone-present phase. During the hormone-absent phase, women showed higher coupling between left parahippocampus and right superior lateral occipital cortex. Our results suggest that the synthetic hormones contained in HCs may protect against the negative effects of stress on functional connectivity of emotional processing regions.
Porous inorganic materials

Abstract The field of porous, inorganic materials is experiencing explosive growth, as is shown by more than 6000 literature citations since 1994 along with numerous recent symposia and workshops that have been devoted to this topic. Much of the recent interest has been fueled by new synthetic strategies, such as ‘supramolecular templating’, that have enabled precise engineering of pore size, shape, and connectivity on the mesoscopic scale. In general, template-based approaches involving the cooperative organization of organic—inorganic assemblies as intermediates are emerging as a promising conceptual basis for future developments in the field of porous inorganic materials, such as the synthesis of hierarchical morphologies that mimic the intricate structures found so often in nature.
Three-Dimensional Characterization of Selective Laser Melted Graphene Oxide-Reinforced Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb Alloy

The influence of graphene oxide (GO) on selective laser melting (SLM) of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb (at.%, Ti-4822) has been investigated using three-dimensional (3D) focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) tomography. The reconstructed 3D images from FIB-SEM tomography reveal the micro-/nano-features in the SLMed Ti-4822, including the dual-phase (α2 + γ) cellular structure and various types of defects. With the addition of 0.3 wt.% GO, the formed α2 cells are significantly refined, the γ phase network becomes thinner and more tightly packed, and the volume fraction of γ phase increases while that of α2 decreases. In addition, micro-cracks and nano-pores are observed in the SLMed Ti-4822, while only nano-pores with dramatically reduced size and number density are characterized in the SLMed Ti-4822 with GO. Our 3D characterization results have provided experimental evidence indicating that the addition of GO can improve the manufacturability of SLM of Ti-4822.
Transcriptome-wide Association Study and eQTL colocalization identify potentially causal genes responsible for bone mineral density GWAS associations

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for bone mineral density (BMD) have identified over 1,100 associations to date. However, identifying causal genes implicated by such studies has been challenging. Recent advances in the development of transcriptome reference datasets and computational approaches such as transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs) and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) colocalization have proven to be informative in identifying putatively causal genes underlying GWAS associations. Here, we used TWAS/eQTL colocalization in conjunction with transcriptomic data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project to identify potentially causal genes for the largest BMD GWAS performed to date. Using this approach, we identified 512 genes as significant (Bonferroni <= 0.05) using both TWAS and eQTL colocalization. This set of genes was enriched for regulators of BMD and members of bone relevant biological processes. To investigate the significance of our findings, we selected PPP6R3, the gene with the strongest support from our analysis which was not previously implicated in the regulation of BMD, for further investigation. We observed that Ppp6r3 deletion in mice decreased BMD. In this work, we provide an updated resource of putatively causal BMD genes and demonstrate that PPP6R3 is a putatively causal BMD GWAS gene. These data increase our understanding of the genetics of BMD and provide further evidence for the utility of combined TWAS/colocalization approaches in untangling the genetics of complex traits.
Spectral function of the U → ∞ one-dimensional Hubbard model at finite temperature and the crossover to the spin-incoherent regime

The physics of the strongly interacting Hubbard chain (with $t/U\ensuremath{\ll}1$) at finite temperatures undergoes a crossover to a spin-incoherent regime when the temperature is very small relative to the Fermi energy, but larger than the characteristic spin energy scale. This crossover can be understood by means of Ogata and Shiba's factorized wave function, where charge and spin are totally decoupled, and assuming that the charge remains in the ground state, while the spin is thermally excited and at an effective ``spin temperature.'' We use the time-dependent density matrix renormalization group method to calculate the dynamical contributions of the spin, to reconstruct the single-particle spectral function of the electrons. The crossover is characterized by a redistribution of spectral weight both in frequency and momentum, with an apparent shift by ${k}_{F}$ of the minimum of the dispersion.
Local hippocampal methamphetamine-induced reinforcement.

Drug abuse and addiction are major problems in the United States. In particular methamphetamine (METH) use has increased dramatically. A greater understanding of how METH acts on the brain to induce addiction may lead to better therapeutic targets for this problem. The hippocampus is recognized as an important structure in learning and memory, but is not typically associated with drug reinforcement or reward processes. Here, the focus is on the hippocampus which has been largely ignored in the addiction literature as compared to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). The results show that METH administered unilaterally via a microdialysis probe to rats’ right dorsal hippocampus will induce drug-seeking (place preference) and drug-taking (lever-pressing) behavior. Furthermore, both of these responses are dependent on local dopamine (DA) receptor activation, as they are impaired by a selective D1/D5 receptor antagonist. The results suggest that the hippocampus is part of the brain’s reward circuitry that underlies addiction.
Enzymatic Conversion of Linoleic Acid to 10d-Hydroxy-Δ12-cis-octadecenoic Acid

Abstract A soluble enzyme preparation from a pseudomonad was shown to catalyze the conversion of linoleic acid to 10d-hydroxy-cis-Δ12-octadecenoic acid. The assignment of structure was based upon chromatographic studies, infrared spectroscopy, optical rotation studies, and, to a major extent, mass spectrometry, including combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, high resolution mass spectrometry, and the preparation of deuterium-labeled derivatives prior to mass spectrometry.
Brominated Flame Retardants in Breast Milk and Behavioural and Cognitive Development at 36 Months

Background Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent flame retardants found in the environment, in household dust, and in humans. Breast feeding is a prominent route of exposure in infancy. PBDEs adversely affect neurodevelopment in animals. Here, we estimate associations between PBDEs in breast milk and behaviour and cognitive skills in children at 36 months of age. Methods We prospectively studied 304 mothers and their children. We measured PBDEs in breast milk collected at 3 months postpartum. At 36 months, we measured child behaviour with the parent-rated Behavioral Assessment System for Children 2 (n = 192), and cognitive skills with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (n = 184). We analysed data with robust regression. Results We detected BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, and -153 in >70% of milk samples. For each congener, the highest quartile of breast milk PBDE concentration, vs. the lowest, was associated with more anxious behaviour, after confounder adjustment. Select congeners were associated with increased withdrawal (BDE-28) and improved activity of daily living skills (BDE-153). Cognitive skills tended to be positively associated with PBDEs, especially language and fine motor skills. However, most estimates were imprecise. Conclusions Here, lactational PBDE exposure was modestly and imprecisely associated with anxiety and withdrawal, but was also associated with improved adaptive and cognitive skills. Positive factors associated with breast feeding may have mitigated some of the hypothesised adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with PBDEs. Further research is needed to inform our understanding of PBDE neurotoxicity and how sources of exposure might confound neurodevelopmental studies.
Transformational Learning and the AAACE Conference

As a first-time participant attending the 2007 American Association of Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) conference in Norfolk, Virginia, I imagined my experience and presentation would be similar to experiences I had encountered at other conferences. However, my experience at the 2007 AAACE conference could not have been farther from the truth. And after I presented my research paper on andragogy, I realized that again, I was wrong in my assumptions. My experience at the conference proved to be an overwhelmingly affirming and empowering event that provided opportunities to meet and engage people with whom I share academic and professional interests. This is a significant observation, as I benefited from a learning outcome that was not only transformational, but also produced a change in me that others could see. After attending the first day of keynote and other conference presentations, I decided to use these sessions as a model and template for fine-tuning my presentation. I was scheduled to present my paper on the second day and was very nervous. My nervousness stemmed from my belief that I was presenting a topic to attendees who were already familiar with the concept of andragogy. I felt as though I would be teaching the alphabet to people who already knew their ABCs! My anxiety was further compounded by my worry that I would not be "good enough" during my presentation. At the end of my presentation, three attendees--Drs. Grey Edwards, John Henschke, and Mary Cooper--came forward, introduced themselves, and said to me, "good job." I was shocked and felt very grateful. Had I known who these people were before I began my presentation, I would have been even more nervous! In the past, when I have presented at conferences, I received compliments that were given as a passing pleasantry. The compliments I received at the AAACE conference, however, were different. I could tell the attendees "got" what I was saying. I felt as though I had found a home within which I could present my research and ideas. Later that evening, while attending a dinner cruise, I met other great people who had also attended my presentation. As an adult educator, my feelings of empowerment deepened while I socialized and conversed with people who shared my interest in adult education. Social networking within this environment proved to be remarkably valuable. With my confidence boosted, I began to feel a change and started to see myself as a contributor to the field of adult learning. In the end, I believe I took more from the AAACE conference than I intended to give. First, as a result of the presentation, I received an invitation to publish my research, which was subsequently published. Secondly, aside from the additional line on my resume, I found a new sense of enthusiasm and self-confidence in knowing that I could be a contributor and a leader--not just a follower. …
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Autogenous Patellar Tendon Graft in Patients with Articular Cartilage Damage

To test if anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with autogenous patellar tendon can alleviate symptoms and functional limitations and increase activity levels in patients with advanced articular cartilage damage, we looked at 53 patients with arthroscopically documented cartilage damage. In this group, a mean of 7.5 years had elapsed between the original injury and the reconstruction, and 90 prior operative procedures had been done. Postoperatively, all patients had immediate motion and early functional rehabilitation. The results were assessed with the Cincinnati Knee Rating System. At followup (mean, 27 months), significant improvements were found for pain, swelling, giving way, functional limitations with daily and sports activities, and the overall rating score. Forty-two patients (79%) had returned to some type of athletic activity. Only three patients (6%) had failed results. In the patients' own ratings of the overall knee condition, 8 of 51 (16%) rated their knees as normal, 28 (55%) as very good, 7 (14%) as good, 5 (10%) as fair, and 3 (6%) as poor. We concluded that the majority of patients benefited from the arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction because it decreased episodes of giving way with daily activities and increased activity without aggravating the preexisting arthrosis.
Efficient algorithm for polygon overlay for dense map image data set

A map consists of a finite set of mutually disjoint polygons. A data structure and efficient algorithm for polygon overlay of dense map image data sets are discussed. The data structure, referred to as the ending-x structure, is a variant of the y-partition structure developed by Merrill which is still widely acclaimed as an optimum raster data structure. The modest refinement of the ending-x structure further reduces raster data volume. More importantly, it can significantly enhance the process of polygon overlay for multiple map image data sets. Considering the density of many map image data sets, and the significance of the polygon overlay problem to spatial data handling, these are significant advances. The paper describes the ending-x data structure and compares the algorithm for polygon overlay suggested by Merrill with one employing the ending-x structure.
A Bench That Looks Like America? Representation of African Americans and Latinos on the Federal Courts

We explore whether political and socioeconomic determinants identified in research on state and local representation help to explain the political incorporation of African Americans and Latinos to appointive positions in national politics, namely, federal judgeships. We find somewhat different results for the two minority groups. Whereas the recruitment of African Americans is attributed primarily to political and demographic factors, Latino representation is most strongly influenced by socioeconomic standing. Using data from the U.S. census of 1970, 1980, and 1990, and state and national political directories, socioeconomic and political profiles are constructed for 90 of the 94 U.S. judicial districts from which federal judges are selected (the four territorial districts are excluded). The watershed of bench diversification was the Carter years; Latino representation continued to increase moderately during the ensuing Republican administrations while African-American representation declined. Although di...
Critical radius for bias-driven swelling — a further analysis and its application to bimodal cavity size distributions

Abstract Cavities grow during irradiation only when the net vacancy influx caused by the dislocation-cavity bias is greater than the thermally emitted vacancy outflux. The cavity radius at which the strongly radius-dependent outflux equals the net influx has been termed the critical radius. We give an analysis for critical radius based on a derived expression containing functional dependences on gas pressure, dislocation and cavity capture efficiencies, temperature, and the other material and irradiation variables. Based on the solution of this equation a cavity stability diagram is obtained. The necessity for the development of a bimodal cavity distribution during irradiation after helium preinjection arises naturally from this construction. The dependence of critical radius on number of gas atoms, temperature, dose rate, and bias is illustrated for ranges of interest in the important variables. These results are consistent with recent experimental data.
Dynamic response analysis of tube array in calandria to rotational vault motion

Abstract An efficient procedure has been presented for dynamic response analysis of horizontal tube array in partially filled calandria including hydrodynamic interaction effects (S.P. Joshi, A. Goyal, Dynamic response analysis of tube array in partially filled calandria, Earthquake Eng. Struct. Dyn. 28 (1999) 287–309). The procedure is general enough to consider transfer of energy between the fluid-coupled tubes and effects of moderator sloshing on the magnitude and the distribution of hydrodynamic forces. It can also simulate the added damping effects due to hydrodynamic interaction. In this paper, the procedure, originally developed for translational excitations of the calandria vault, is extended to include the rotational excitations of the vault. The procedure uses semi-analytical approach for the evaluation of hydrodynamic terms that leads to considerable economy in the computation.
Specific binding of a synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide to yeast cytochrome c mRNA.

THE investigation of specific messenger RNAs in terms of sequence analysis and of the control of their synthesis, processing, translation and degradation is one of the major interests of modern molecular biology. These studies have been possible so far in only the few cases where a cell type is known to synthesise predominantly one species of protein. Since most mRNAs are chemically similar, differing only in size and sequence, it has been difficult to purify them by conventional methods. Given the amino acid sequence of a protein, one can use the genetic code to deduce a sequence of nucleotides in a specific region of the mRNA and then synthesise an oligodeoxyribonucleotide complementary to that region1–4. We have chosen to investigate the yeast iso-1 cytochrome c mRNA as a model system for the use of synthetic oligonucleotides as specific probes of eucaryotic mRNA structure and function. The genetics of yeast iso-1 cytochrome c has been studied in great detail by Sherman, Stewart and co-workers5,6, who have determined the sequence of 44 nucleotides of the mRNA from the analysis of altered cytochromes produced by a series of double frameshift mutants. In addition, a number of well defined deletion mutants are available within this region. The pentadecadeoxyribonucleotide (15-mer) that we decided to synthesise, 5′–d(A–G–C–A–C–C–T–T–T–C–T–T–A–G–C)3′ is complementary to nucleotides 25–39 of the cytochrome c mRNA (Fig. 1). This sequence was chosen because it is relatively easy to synthesise, should form a very stable hybrid with mRNA, and is close to the 5′ end of the coding region of the mRNA. A known deletion mutation covers this region, yet allows the production of a functional cytochrome c in normal amounts5,6, and thus provides an excellent control for hybridisation experiments. We have been able to show that the synthetic 15-mer does indeed bind specifically to the expected region of the mRNA, and therefore should be useful as a specific probe for the study of this mRNA.
Coordination of the upper and lower extremities

Abstract Simultaneous walking and hand clapping were utilized to examine the patterns of coordination between upper and lower limbs. Eighteen normal adult subjects were filmed at high speed under instructions to: (a) walk and clap at a self-determined “preferred” speed, (b) walk as fast as possible while clapping at the preferred speed, (c) walk at the preferred speed while clapping as fast as possible and (d) walk and clap as fast as possible. Temporal data and individual patterns of phase relations were analyzed. Results indicated a disruption of the preferred clap cycle when combine with fast walking. The degree of disruption was a function of the individual coordinative pattern at the preferred rate. It is concluded that: (a) the temporal patterning of the clap cycle can be dictated by the step cycle, (b) heel strike is the point about which the clap cycle is modulated, and (c) subjects can select from various modes of phase linkage.
Plasma immunoreactive pancreatic cationic trypsinogen in cystic fibrosis: a sensitive indicator of exocrine pancreatic dysfunction.

Summary: Plasma immunoreactive cationic trypsin(ogen) levels were determined in 32 control subjects and 43 patients with varying degrees of pancreatic insufficiency including 35 with cystic fibrosis (CF) and eight with Shwachman's syndrome. In six CF infants less than 2 years of age, plasma trypsin(ogen) levels were significantly elevated (97.3 ± 62.2 ng/ml) above the normal range for nine controls (7.0 ± 5.9 ng/ml; P < 0.025). Four of these infants had steatorrhea, three of whom had undetectable duodenal trypsin activity after stimulation with secretin-cholecystokinin. In two CF infants, molecular size fractionation by gel filtration of plasma followed by radioimmunoassay of the column fractions demonstrated that trypsinogen was the only immunoreactive species in the circulation. In contrast, in older CF patients with steatorrhea (mean age, 15.3 ± 4.6 years), plasma cationic trypsin(ogen) levels were undetectable or low (1.1 ± 1.7 ng/ml). This finding clearly distinguished them from older CF patients without steatorrhea (mean age, 14.3 ± 3.9 years) in whom cationic trypsin(ogen) levels were significantly higher (23.3 ± 17.6 ng/ml; P < 0.01). The mean trypsin(ogen) concentration in the older CF patients without steatorrhea did not differ from the mean value for 23 normal subjects of similar age. Plasma cationic trypsin(ogen) levels in two Shwachman's patients with steatorrhea (0.19 and 0.86 ng/ml) were significantly lower than the values found in six Shwachman's patients without steatorrhea (5.9 ± 2.3 ng/ml; P < 0.025). Furthermore, in nine older CF patients and eight Shwachman's patients, circulating trypsin(ogen) levels were highly correlated with duodenal trypsin output after secretin-cholecystokinin stimulation (r = 0.946, P < 0.01; r = 0.899, P < 0.01, respectively). These results suggest that in CF infants high levels of circulating trypsin(ogen) persist even in those with complete pancreatic insufficiency. In older CF patients and those with Shwachman's syndrome, however, circulating trypsin(ogen) accurately reflects residual pancreatic function. Speculation: Cystic fibrosis (CF) infants often possess viable but ductally obstructed pancreatic tissue, which may be destroyed with disease progression. The correlation between pancreatic exocrine function and circulating trypsin(ogen) in older CF patients and Shwachman's patients, however, indicates that ductal obstruction is not a prominent feature in these patients.
Production of the kappa meson in K−-p interactions

Evidence was given for the existence of an excited state in the K/sub pi / system at approximates 725 Mev from recent work on pi /sup -/ + p interactions. Some theoretical implications of this excited state ( kappa meson) are considered. A systematic analysis of the reaction K/sup -/ + p yields K/sup o/ + pi /sup -/ was undertaken to search for this x meson effect in K/sup - /p interactions. (R.E.U.)