cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of LENS-fabricated Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al4V/TiC dual-material transition joints

The design of engineering structures with function-specific material members is on the increase. This requires advanced fabrication technologies with capabilities for multi-material processing. A major challenge however is obtaining effective transition from one material to another. Dissimilar material systems made using laser metal deposition processes have been investigated. The fusion of materials having different physical properties and chemical compositions under high laser power often results in defects at the joints due to thermal expansion mismatch, the formation of intermetallics, or other mechanisms. Some solutions have been proffered in previous works based on evaluations using qualitative techniques. However, quantitative experimental studies are imperative to accurately assess the mechanical behavior of dual-material structures for real-life applications as predictive tools have not yet been validated. In this work, different designs of material transitions from Ti6Al4V alloy to Ti6Al4V/TiC composites were established. Experimental evaluations of their strengths at these joints were made using LENS-fabricated tensile and flexural test samples. The mode of transition from one material to another was found to have a significant effect on the tensile strengths of the structures. Also, material transition designs with optimum strengths were applied for the fabrication of simplified dual-material minimum-weight structures and tested. The structures failed at locations away from the material transition regions, thus proving the effectiveness of the joints.
Oxygen independent DNA interstrand cross-link formation by a nucleotide radical

A 5-(2'-Deoxyuridinyl)methyl radical (1) was independently generated from three photochemical precursors and is the first example of a DNA radical that forms interstrand cross-links. Oxygen labeling experiments support generation of 1 by all precursors. Interstrand cross-links are produced upon irradiation of DNA containing any of the precursors. Cross-linking occurs via reaction with the opposing 2'-deoxyadenosine and is independent of O(2). The independence of cross-link formation on O(2) is explained by kinetic analysis, which shows that the radical reacts reversibly with O(2). Examination of the effects of glutathione on cross-link formation under anaerobic conditions suggests that adoption of the syn-conformation by 1 is the rate-limiting step in the process. Interstrand cross-link formation is reversible in the presence of a good nucleophile. The stability of the interstrand cross-link suggests that the isolated molecule is a rearrangement product of that formed in solution. The rearrangement is a consequence of the isolation procedure but also occurs slowly in solution. Oxygen independent cross-link formation may be useful for the purposeful damage of DNA in hypoxic tumor cells, where O(2) is deficient.
Chimeric proteins constructed from bacteriophage T7 gp4 and a putative primase–helicase from Arabidopsis thaliana

An open reading frame from Arabidopsis thaliana, which is highly homologous to the human mitochondrial DNA helicase TWINKLE, was previously cloned, expressed, and shown to have DNA primase and DNA helicase activity. The level of DNA primase activity of this Arabidopsis Twinkle homolog (ATH) was low, perhaps due to an incomplete zinc binding domain (ZBD). In this study, N-terminal truncations of ATH implicate residues 80–102 interact with the RNA polymerase domain (RPD). In addition, chimeric proteins, constructed using domains from ATH and the well-characterized T7 phage DNA primase–helicase gp4, were created to determine if the weak primase activity of ATH could be enhanced. Two chimeric proteins were constructed: ATHT7 contains the ZBD and RPD domains of ATH tethered to the helicase domain of T7, while T7ATH contains the ZBD and RPD domains of T7 tethered to the helicase domain of ATH. Both chimeric proteins were successfully expressed and purified in E. coli, and assayed for traditional primase and helicase activities. T7ATH was able to generate short oligoribonucleotide primers, but these primers could not be cooperatively extended by a DNA polymerase. Although T7ATH contains the ATH helicase domain, it exhibited few of the characteristics of a functional helicase. ATHT7 lacked primase activity altogether and also demonstrated only weak helicase activities. This work demonstrates the importance of interactions between structurally and functionally distinct domains, especially in recombinant, chimeric proteins.
Factors in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain

Symptoms are the verbal and nonverbal communicative expressions of experience. At any one time, the symptom is dependent on structural changes, genetic variations, metabolic abnormalities, immunopathic and other disorders, and the totality of social, economic, and situational experience. Complaints of pain may vary with time depending on the interaction of these features in a manner not directly related to the intensity of a noxious stimulus.
Effects of Fasting on Blood Sugar Levels in Baby Chicks of Varying Ages

ABSTRACT THE new-born animal is characterized by profound physiological changes as it adapts to its new and more variable environment. Of these adaptations none is perhaps more critical than that to new nutritional sources. Failure to ingest food or to ingest sufficient quantities of the various nutrients may result in death of the new-born animal after a survival time much shorter than that of the adult under similar conditions. In complete starvation death presumably results ultimately because of insufficient quantities of some one substance for essential metabolic activities. In this respect influence of previous dietary intake on the course of starvation between individuals would be minimal in new-born animals. In new-born pigs there is evidence that the critical substance in starvation death is glucose (Graham, Sampson and Hester, 1941). In the fasting animal carbohydrate stores initially present are rapidly exhausted; then the primary source of blood glucose is hepatic gluconeogenesis. It . . .
Brightness reversion of mechanical pulps. VIII, Investigation of synergistic photostabilization methods for high-yield pulp

Abstract Recent advances in the photostabilization of mechanical pulp suggest that the use of additive mixtures may provide optimal protection against brightness reversion. Some of the most promising additive mixtures reported in the literature include the use of a UV absorber, such as 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, and a radical scavenger. The mechanistic basis of this synergistic effect was explored by monitoring the photostability of benzophenone during brightness reversion. These studies demonstrated that the benzophenone additives were stable under the initial photolysis conditions. The use of mercapto derivatives of benzophenone did not enhance the photostabilization effect, suggesting that the thiol additive and UV absorber need not be in close association with each other for the observed photostabilization effects to occur.
The Negotiated Order of Organizational Reliability

A critical problem facing modern organizations in a variety of settings is the erosion of slack. Given narrowing performance margins allowed many organizations, managers are tempted to "lock in" organizational performance through elaborated rules and procedures, formal authority assignments, and clearly differentiated job responsibilities. A case study of one organization seeking very high reliability in its performance—a nuclear power plant—is offered to demonstrate a contrary point of view. Reliability, it is argued, can best be achieved not through attempts at organizational invariance but through the management of fluctuations in important organizational relationships and practices. This strategy enhances reliability while preserving the protective functions of organizational slack.
The problem of alcohol in the medical/surgical patient

Abstract The authors report the results of a computerized data-based study of 845 general hospital patients seen by a consultation-liaison psychiatry service in a major urban hospital. The findings indicate that only 5.2% of the referrals were for the problem of alcohol. Furthermore, the detection rate of an alcohol problem by both the referring physicians and the psychiatric consultants was low (8.3%) as compared with the literature's reported prevalence rate of alcoholism in the general hospital (8.7%–55%). The problem of recognition of an alcohol problem in the medical/surgical patient is explored with particular emphasis on the obstacles to diagnosis—masking of alcoholism by other major psychiatric disease, the categorization of patients by symptom rather than underlying causation, and the lack of sufficient employment of useful diagnostic screening devices.
Mortality Rates in the Offspring of Schizophrenic Parents and a Physiological Advantage Hypothesis

Huxley, Mayr, Osmond and Hoffer have advanced the hypothesis that the persistence of schizophrenia at its currently high frequency of at least 1 per cent in most populations represented a polymorphic balance maintained by selectively favourable physiological properties. The evidence advanced in support of their hypothesis was fragmentary and inconclusive and, although their work has received considerable attention2–8, the physiological advantage hypothesis seems to have been given little credence in the literature.
Fuzzy inference system for semiconductor manufacturing processes

A systematic approach is presented for modeling qualitative properties in semiconductor manufacturing processes. This approach is based on the fuzzy logic theory, and on the statistical analysis of categorical data. A fuzzy inference system can be designed and created by training data obtained either from human expert knowledge, or automatically extracted from statistically designed experiments. Before being used to design the fuzzy system, the data extracted from the designed experiments can be processed and filtered with the help of linear and logistic regression analysis. After the establishment of the initial inference system, the fuzzy membership functions can be tuned adaptively to accommodate process changes.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Serum Carbon Dioxide Determination Using A Carbonate Ion-Selective Membrane Electrode

Abstract We employ a new carbonate ion selective membrane electrode in a continuous flow procedure for the direct determination of the CO2 content in human serum samples. The method yields excellent precision and accuracy with a standard deviation of a single measurement (on a day-to-day basis) of 1.2 meq/liter. Comparison of our analyses on hospital samples with independent analyses using classical methods gave good agreement and indicates that the proposed electrode method will be useful for routine clinical analyses with considerable reduction in sample handling and cost.
The stone that struck Goliath: The Part‐Time Faculty Association, Washington State Community and Technical Colleges, and class‐action lawsuits

This chapter explores recent legal challenges and victories brought forth by part-time community college faculty in Washington State in an effort to attain equity and social justice.
Central nervous system toxicity of high-dose systemic cytosine arabinoside

Forty-nine adult patients with acute leukemia in relapse, refractory to conventional therapy, were studied. Increasing quantities of i.v. bolus high-dose cytosine arabinoside (cytarabine) were administered using the following schedules: 3 g/m2 every 12 hrs for 4-16 consecutive doses, or 4.5 g/m2 every 12 hrs for 12 consecutive doses. Patients ages ranged 16-76 year (median: 38). Thirty-seven patients had previously received either induction or maintainance therapy with conventional doses of cytarabine. Cerebral or cerebellar dysfunction attributable to cytarabine was observed in eight patients and appeared 6-8 days (mean: 6.6) after the first dose and lasted 3-7 days (mean: 4.7). None of 12 patients receiving up to 24 g/m2 total dose of 48 g/m2 developed reversible neurologic dysfunction. Four of six patients receiving 54 g/m2 developed CNS toxicity (irreversible in two cases), a significantly greater incidence compared to toxicity in patients receiving less than or equal to 48 g/m2 total dose (P less than 0.01). CNS toxicity was dose-related since patients treated for 12 consecutive doses of 4.5 g/m2 had significantly greater CNS toxicity than 12 consecutive doses at 3 g/m2 (P less than 0.04). Systemic cytarabine doses less than 54 g/m2 can be administered with minimal CNS side-effects.
Localizing sadness activation within the subgenual cingulate in individuals: a novel functional MRI paradigm for detecting individual differences in the neural circuitry underlying depression.

Variations in frontal lobe (FL) functional anatomy, especially the subgenual cingulate gyrus (SGC) suggest that mapping on an individual rather than group level may give greater insight regarding dysregulation of the neural circuitry involved in depression, as well as potentially provide more specific or individualized treatment plans for depressed patients. We designed a functional MRI task capable of imaging FL activity in individuals, including the SGC region, using a transient sadness paradigm. We sought to develop a method that may better detect individual differences of FL subregions related to sadness, since this region has been implicated to show dysregulation in depression. The task was based on a block design that also accommodates individual differences in responsivity to a sadness induction paradigm. Individual differences from nine non-depressed healthy volunteers were analyzed. We also performed functional connectivity analyses to further characterize our findings to the networks associated with the SGC in each individual. The study was designed to account for individual variation rather than using a true experimental design; therefore, no control group was necessary. As expected, due to inter-individual variability, the specific site of SGC activation during sadness varied across individuals. Activation was also observed in other brain regions consistent with other studies of induced sadness and depression. Patterns of functional connectivity to the SGC also highlighted neural circuits known to subserve sadness and depression. This task promises to more precisely localize a given individual’s functional organization of the brain circuitry underlying sadness, and potentially depression, in an efficient, standardized way. This task could potentially aid in providing individualized targets in the treatment of depression.
Specificity of the binding of trifluoperazine to the calcium-dependent activator of phosphodiesterase and to a series of other calcium-binding proteins.

Abstract Trifluoperazine inhibits the activation of phosphodiesterase by binding to the calcium-dependent activator. To determine further the specificity by which trifluoperazine binds to activator, we compared the binding of trifluoperazine to activator prepared from several species and tissues and to a number of other calcium-binding proteins devoid of activator activity. Trifluoperazine binds to activator prepared from human, bovine, rat and rabbit brain and from chick embryo fibroblasts. In each case, the binding of trifluoperazine to activator was qualitatively similar and related quantitatively to the ability of the preparation to activate phosphodiesterase. Of the other calcium-binding proteins examined, namely, troponin-C, S-100 protein, phospholipase A, phospholipase B and myosin light chain, only troponin-C displayed any significant calcium-specific binding of trifluoperazine. The binding to troponin-C, however, appeared to be different from the binding to activator; whereas the binding of trifluoperazine to actovator showed no cooperativity, the binding to troponin-C showed positive cooperatively. These results and earlier data showing that trifluoperazine fails to bind to a variety of other proteins, indicate that the binding of trifluoperazine to the calcium-dependent activator of phosphodiesterase is selective and suggest that this binding may explain some of the biochemical and pharmacological actions of this antipsychotic agent.
Proteolytic maturation of transforming growth factor-α

Transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) is a mitogenic peptide hormone produced extracellularly, by tumor cells, and by virally and chemically transformed cells in culture. TGF-α is almost certainly derived from its precursor protein (pro-TGF-α) by limited endoproteolysis, but physiologically relevant processing enzyme(s) of the pro-TGF-α protein and the cellular or subcellular compartment in which processing takes place are not known with certainty. We previously detailed [Cappelluti, E. and Harris, R.B., Biochemistry, 32 (1993) 551] the discovery, characterization and purification of novel, elastase-like enzymes (molecular weight 38 000) from oncogenically transformed rat liver epithelial cells or cultural Schwann cells transfected with SV40-large T antigen. The elastase-like enzyme appeared to be specifically induced in the transformed epithelial cells compared with the level of enzyme in the nontransformed parental cells. In the intervening time, other elastase-like serine proteinases have been implicated in processing pro-TGF-α in other human carcinoma cell lines. We now report that the elastase-like enzymes, purified from transformed Schwann or liver epithelial cells, are inhibited in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion with three differently substituted monocyclic β-lactam-based compounds originally developed as specific inhibitors of polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase, thus further supporting the elastase-like character of the putative pro-TGF-α processing enzymes. We also report the presence of the elastase-like enzyme in two different human malignant mammary cell lines, but even though MCF-7 cells receiving high doses of radiation in vitro show an increased level of expression of TGF-α, the elastase-like enzyme does not appear to be induced in these cells following irradiation.
Measuring Emotional Intelligence in Early Adolescence With the MSCEIT-YV Psychometric Properties and Relationship With Academic Performance and Psychosocial Functioning

Emotional intelligence (EI) theory provides a framework to study the role of emotion skills in social, personal, and academic functioning. Reporting data validating the importance of EI among youth have been limited due to a dearth of measurement instruments. In two studies, the authors examined the reliability and validity of the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test—Youth Version (MSCEIT-YV), a performance test of EI. Study 1 examined psychometric attributes of the MSCEIT-YV in a large sample of fifth- to eighth-grade students (N = 756). Study 2 examined the relationship of the MSCEIT to student and teacher reports of academic, social, and personal functioning among fifth- and sixth-grade students (N = 273). The authors report that EI can be measured reliably with the MSCEIT-YV and that higher scores on the test are related to healthier psychological functioning and greater social competence based on both teacher and student ratings, as well as to academic performance in English language arts.
Differential Requirements by CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells for Soluble and Membrane TNF in Control of Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain Intramacrophage Growth

During primary infection with intracellular bacteria, the membrane-associated form of TNF provides some TNF functions, but the relative contributions during memory responses are not well-characterized. In this study, we determined the role of T cell-derived secreted and membrane-bound TNF (memTNF) during adaptive immunity to Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS). Although transgenic mice expressing only the memTNF were more susceptible to primary LVS infection than wild-type (WT) mice, LVS-immune WT and memTNF mice both survived maximal lethal secondary Francisella challenge. Generation of CD44(high) memory T cells and clearance of bacteria were similar, although more IFN-gamma and IL-12(p40) were produced by memTNF mice. To examine T cell function, we used an in vitro tissue coculture system that measures control of LVS intramacrophage growth by LVS-immune WT and memTNF-T cells. LVS-immune CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells isolated from WT and memTNF mice exhibited comparable control of LVS growth in either normal or TNF-alpha knockout macrophages. Although the magnitude of CD4(+) T cell-induced macrophage NO production clearly depended on TNF, control of LVS growth by both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells did not correlate with levels of nitrite. Importantly, intramacrophage LVS growth control by CD8(+) T cells, but not CD4(+) T cells, was almost entirely dependent on T cell-expressed TNF, and required stimulation through macrophage TNFRs. Collectively, these data demonstrate that T cell-expressed memTNF is necessary and sufficient for memory T cell responses to this intracellular pathogen, and is particularly important for intramacrophage control of bacterial growth by CD8(+) T cells.
Towards Oil Independence Through Renewable Methanol Chemistry

Recycling of CO(2) into methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), and derived fuels and materials is a feasible approach to address our carbon conundrum. It would free humankind from its dependence on fossil fuel while at the same time help mitigate the problems associated with excessive CO(2) emission. The energy needed for this carbon cycle can come from renewable sources (hydro, solar, wind) as well as atomic energy.
Preparation of silver particles by spray pyrolysis of silver-diammine complex solutions

A novel precursor solution system, containing NH3 as a complexing agent, was used for the production of Ag powders by spray pyrolysis. Solutions of Ag2CO3, Ag2O, and AgNO3 with NH4HCO3 were used in this study. Ag powders were obtained at unexpectedly low temperatures, i.e., 400 °C or less. The Ag powders with a shell-like morphology were obtained from Ag2CO3 and Ag2O solutions, whereas dense Ag particles of about 1 μm diameter were obtained from AgNO3–NH4HCO3 solution. These morphologies are explained in terms of NH3 release during spray pyrolysis.
Screening of gap junction antagonists on dye coupling in the rabbit retina

Many cell types in the retina are coupled via gap junctions and so there is a pressing need for a potent and reversible gap junction antagonist. We screened a series of potential gap junction antagonists by evaluating their effects on dye coupling in the network of A-type horizontal cells. We evaluated the following compounds: meclofenamic acid (MFA), mefloquine, 2-aminoethyldiphenyl borate (2-APB), 18-α-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18-β-glycyrrhetinic acid (18-β-GA), retinoic acid, flufenamic acid, niflumic acid, and carbenoxolone. The efficacy of each drug was determined by measuring the diffusion coefficient for Neurobiotin (Mills & Massey, 1998). MFA, 18-β-GA, 2-APB and mefloquine were the most effective antagonists, completely eliminating A-type horizontal cell coupling at a concentration of 200 μM. Niflumic acid, flufenamic acid, and carbenoxolone were less potent. Additionally, carbenoxolone was difficult to wash out and also may be harmful, as the retina became opaque and swollen. MFA, 18-β-GA, 2-APB and mefloquine also blocked coupling in B-type horizontal cells and AII amacrine cells. Because these cell types express different connexins, this suggests that the antagonists were relatively non-selective across several different types of gap junction. It should be emphasized that MFA was water-soluble and its effects on dye coupling were easily reversible. In contrast, the other gap junction antagonists, except carbenoxolone, required DMSO to make stock solutions and were difficult to wash out of the preparation at the doses required to block coupling in A-type HCs. The combination of potency, water solubility and reversibility suggest that MFA may be a useful compound to manipulate gap junction coupling.
Photoelectron angular distribution measurements of at visible wavelengths

Photoelectron angular distributions for the laser photodetachment process have been measured at six wavelengths in the region 457.9 - 647.1 nm. An intense 10 keV beam was produced in a caesium sputter-type ion source and mass-selected with a bending magnet. The mass-selected ion beam was subsequently crossed at with a linearly polarized, continuous photon beam. Angular distributions were obtained by measuring the laboratory-frame energy spectra of photodetached electrons as a function of the angle between the velocity vector of the ejected electrons and the polarization direction of the linearly polarized photon beam. The photoelectron angular distributions were used to determine asymmetry parameters. The present measurements are in excellent agreement with those of Hall and Siegel at 488.0 and 514.5 nm (1968 J. Chem. Phys. 48 943), and good agreement with a calculation by Cooper and Zare (1968 J. Chem. Phys. 48 942). The photodetachment asymmetry parameters for are compared with a recent measurement of the photodetachment asymmetry parameters for .
QUEST FOR A DETRUSOR OVERACTIVITY INDEX

Purpose: Urge incontinence, which is the predominant type of geriatric incontinence, is generally attributed to detrusor overactivity. However, detrusor overactivity is present in up to half of continent elderly individuals. We postulated that detrusor overactivity associated with urge incontinence would be more severe but there are no established criteria for judging severity. Using urge incontinence frequency as a yardstick and controlling for nonurodynamic contributing factors we sought intrinsic lower urinary tract parameters that reflect detrusor overactivity severity. We postulated that parameters in 1 or more of 5 domains would be important, namely characteristics of uninhibited contraction, bladder capacity, bladder proprioception, detrusor contractility and sphincter adequacy.Materials and Methods: We analyzed data on 79 community dwelling incontinent individuals older than 60 years old. All subjects had urge incontinence on a 4-day voiding record and underwent multichannel videourodynamics. We e...
An adaptive algorithm for tolerating value faults and crash failures

The AQuA architecture provides adaptive fault tolerance to CORBA applications by replicating objects and providing a high-level method that an application can use to specify its desired level of dependability. This paper presents the algorithms that AQUA uses, when an application's dependability requirements can change at runtime, to tolerate both value faults in applications and crash failures simultaneously. In particular, we provide an active replication communication scheme that maintains data consistency among replicas, detects crash failures, collates the messages generated by replicated objects, and delivers the result of each vote. We also present an adaptive majority voting algorithm that enables the correct ongoing vote while both the number of replicas and the majority size dynamically change. Together, these two algorithms form the basis of the mechanism for tolerating and recovering from value faults and crash failures in AQuA.
Direct and Collateral Effects of Peer Tutoring on Social and Behavioral Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Research

This meta-analysis examined the direct (primary) and collateral (sec- ondary) effects of peer tutoring on social and behavioral outcomes for 128 participants in prekindergarten through grade 12 across 20 studies using SCR designs. The overall TauU weighted effect size across studies was 0.62 (95% CI (0.58, 0.66)), indicating that a small to moderate effect on behavioral and social outcomes can be attributed to peer tutoring. Moderator analyses indicated that cross-age tutoring, peer tutoring interventions that did not use reward contingen- cies, and interventions that measured direct effects yielded higher effect sizes. The direct effect of peer tutoring on behavioral and social outcomes was mod- erately large (ES 0.75), whereas the collateral effect was relatively small (ES 0.43). Furthermore, peer tutoring had a greater effect on improving social skills and social interactions (ES 0.69) and reducing disruptive and off-task behaviors (ES 0.60) than academic engagement (ES 0.38).
Beyond PTSD An Evolving Relationship Between Trauma Theory and Family Violence Research

During the past 20 years, we have learned how similarly harmful are experiences of terror, violence, and abuse, whether they occur on the combat field or at home. The field of family violence has gained much from the field of traumatic stress, and collaborations between these two previously separate fields have yielded important new answers, as well as new research questions. The field of traumatic stress is poised to integrate, more fully than in the past, a variety of aspects of trauma such as social betrayal, as well as outcomes of trauma such as depression, criminality, and physiological harm that go beyond posttraumatic stress. The field of family violence has much to offer in this process. We look forward to improved research designs that will further our knowledge of how trauma affects aspects of people’s lives, including productivity, relationships, cognition, and emotions, in negative and positive ways.
Capacity Results for Multiple Access Channels with State and Feedback

In this paper, the multiple access channel (MAC) with channel state is analyzed in a scenario where a) the channel state is known non-causally to the transmitters and b) there is perfect causal feedback from the receiver to the transmitters. An achievable region and an outer bound are found for a discrete memoryless MAC that extend existing results, bringing together ideas from the two separate domains of MAC with state and MAC with feedback. Although this achievable region does not match the outer bound in general, non-trivial conditions are found where they meet. In the case of Gaussian MAC, a specialized achievable region is found by using a combination of dirty paper coding and a generalization of the Schalkwijk-Kailath (1966), Ozarow (1984) and Merhav-Weissman (2005) schemes, and this region is found to be capacity achieving. Specifically, it is shown that additive Gaussian interference that is known non-causally to the transmitter causes no loss in capacity for the Gaussian MAC with feedback
E-mail in patient-provider communication: a systematic review.

Objective To review systematically the role of e-mails in patient–provider communication in terms of e-mail content, and perspectives of providers and patients on e-mail communication in health care.
A connection between the rate of rotation of interstellar clouds, magnetic fields, ambipolar diffusion, and the periods of binary stars

Observations do not show any interstellar clouds rotating much faster than the Galaxy. This can be attributed to magnetic braking, which the observed parameters of the interstellar medium show to be very efficient as long as the magnetic field is frozen in the matter. The critical density n/sub cr/ at which the field decouples from the matter determines the period of rotation of a binary star system, assumed to form by a collapsing (nearly nonmagnetic) fragment that conserves its angular momentum. The observed periods tau/sub b/ of binary stars (roughly 100 yr > or approx. = tau/sub b/> or approx. = 10 hr) may be accounted for if n/sub cr/ ranges from 7.5 x 10/sup 3/ cm/sup -3/ to 2.2 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sup -3/, respectively. We reexamine the process of ambipolar diffusion (by appropriately scaling the field strength to dense-cloud densities) and show that, at the above densities, it can decouple the field from the matter within 8.8 x 10/sup 5/ to 3.9 x 10/sup 7/ years. A scenario for star formation is outlined. (AIP)
The effect of parental divorce on young adults' romantic relationship dissolution: What makes a difference?

It was proposed that parental divorce does not have a uniform effect on young adults' romantic relationships and that differential outcomes depend on how young adults perceive their parents' divorce. Using a sample of 571 young adults, structural equation modeling suggested that, compared with those from intact families, young adults whose parents divorced held a more favorable attitude toward divorce. A positive attitude toward divorce was associated with lower commitment to their romantic relationship, which in turn affected its dissolution. More importantly, young adults' perception of parental divorce varied depending on interparental conflict and parents' marital quality before the divorce. The variation in the perception of interparental divorce was linked to relationship dissolution via attitude toward divorce and relationship commitment.
An outbreak of toxoplasmosis in an aviary collection of Nicobar pigeons (Caloenas nicobaria)

Three out of 10 Nicobar pigeons (Caloenas nicobaria ) in an aviary collection in South Africa were found dead with no presenting clinical symptoms. Histological examination of formalin-fixed tissues from all these birds revealed necrotic foci in various visceral organs (liver, spleen, heart, kidney and lungs), plus diffuse pulmonary congestion and oedema with vasculitis. Numerous protozoal tachyzoites were present in all organs and there was strong positive immunohistochemical (IHC) labelling of these organisms for Toxoplasma gondii. Pathology was consistent with acute systemic toxoplasmosis as a consequence of oocyst ingestion. Feral cats were known to be a problem at the facility. Clinical toxoplasmosis is rarely reported in pigeons and this is believed to be the 1st report of toxoplasmosis in Nicobar pigeons.
The Scientific Status of Learning Styles Theories.

Theories of learning styles suggest that individuals think and learn best in different ways. These are not differences of ability but rather preferences for processing certain types of information ...
Observations of Inertia-Gravity Waves in the Atlantic from Inverted Echo Sounders during FGGE

Abstract The study is based on observations from inverted echo sounders anchored near the equator in the western Atlantic Ocean. It appears to be a good method of detecting inertia-gravity waves with large vertical scale. The spectral analysis of the records shows variable spectral density levels in the band of 2–5 days. Three of the four Inverted Echo Sounder (IES) records show an increase in the variance centered at 3.75 days. In addition, two sounders deployed during the latter half of the year (stronger winds) also show a peak in the variance at 2.14 and 2.31 days. The most likely interpretation of the spectral peak at 3.75 days is an atmospherically forced, vertically propagating inertia-gravity wave with a meridional structure given by the n=3 mode. The corresponding equivalent depth is h=0.7 m, and the vertical wavelength is ∼730 m. The energy density, estimated from the variance in the IES records, is E = 0.7 × 103 J m−2.
TRMM: Trazendo o sensoriamento remoto de precipitação para sua sala de aula

Geosynchronous and polar-orbiting environmental satellites have provided valuable data about our planet for more than 50 years. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite monitors clouds, precipitation, and other aspects of the water cycle between 35 degrees North and 35 degrees South. TRMM’s imagery collection provides a vast array of resources that can be used to create lessons and facilitate authentic science research by students.
Additionality Violations in Payment for Ecosystem Service Programs: Experimental Evidence

Payment for ecosystem service (PES) programs incentivize farmers to implement agricultural best management practices (BMPs) with the goal of reducing nutrient and sediment runoff and improving water quality. These programs are widespread at both the federal and state level. Because some farmers adopt BMPs even in the absence of PES programs, it is natural to question the extent to which BMPs adopted by program participants are additional to the counterfactual scenario of no program. I test the assumption of perfect program additionality for a variety of subsidy programs in an experimental setting using a variant of the common public good game. I find that a large proportion of enrollments are not additional, as much as 100% for some subsidy programs. Further, I identify two sources through which additionality is violated: the pay-for-nothing (P4N) effect, in which the subsidy pays for a practice that would be done without incentives, and behavioral substitution, in which the subsidy generates substitution from an unincentivized BMP to the incentivized one, and quantify each effect for a series of subsidy regimes. I find that subsidies for "good" BMPs are largely ineffective, especially when a "great" BMP option is also available.
Muscle strengthening exercises during pregnancy are associated with increased energy and reduced fatigue

AbstractIntroduction: Physical inactivity likely contributes to fatigue and low energy during pregnancy but whether acute resistance exercise attenuates these symptoms is unknown.Methods: Twenty-six women performed six low-to-moderate intensity resistance exercises twice per week from weeks 23 to 35 of pregnancy and measurements were made before and after each workout using the Mental and Physical State Energy and Fatigue Scales.Results: Acute resistance exercise usually increased perceived physical and mental energy (92% to 96% of workouts, respectively). These increases did not differ significantly across the 24 exercise sessions for feelings of physical energy or mental energy, even after adjusting for variations in attendance (median = 22/24 workouts). Acute resistance exercise usually decreased perceived physical and mental fatigue (79% to 88% of workouts, respectively), and ANCOVA showed these decreases did not differ significantly across the 24 exercise sessions for feelings of physical fatigue or ...
Analysis and Prediction of Top National Union Officers' Total Compensation1

Relationships among, and correlates of, the total compensation of the top three officers in the 100 largest national unions were examined in three time periods (1962, 1967, 1973). Results were high...
Stereochemical study of a transannular Michael reaction cascade.

We systematically explored a transannular Michael reaction cascade for stereoselective synthesis of polycyclic systems. Both E,Z- and E,E-1,7-bis-enones in the form of 14-membered macrocyclic lactones underwent transannular cyclization to give polycyclic products with high efficiency and excellent diastereoselectivity. In contrast, Z,E- and Z,Z-macrocyclic lactones did not cyclize under similar reaction conditions. Our study revealed similarities and subtle stereochemical differences between this transannular cyclization process and transannular Diels–Alder reactions. An acyl ketene approach was developed for efficient synthesis of macrocyclic lactones. This investigation also illuminated the scope and limitation of macrocyclization by intramolecular Reformatsky reaction to prepare macrocyclic lactones.
Analyzing Copper Plumbing Pipe Failures

Pinhole leak in home copper plumbing has emerged as a significant issue. In the major water distribution system managed by municipalities and water utilities the costs are distributed among all subscribers. The home plumbing repair/replacement cost and possible water damage cost must be addressed by the home owner. There are also issues of the value of home, insurance rates, health consequences, and taste and odor problems. These issues have become a major concern to home owners. We present a methodology that accounts for random arrivals of leak events in determining the optimal replacement time.
Investigating of malignancy incidence in Jiangyin City during 2002—2006

Objective:To investigate the status of malignancy incidence and distribution trends in Jiangyin City during the last few years.Methods:To investigate the data of tumor patients diegnosed as malignaney daring 2002-2006 in Jiangyin city retrospec tively.Results:The total standardized rate of malignancy incidence was 194.92/per 100000 in Jiangyin City during 2002-2006,and for males was 220.35/ per 100000,females 132.45/per 100000.The order of incidence was cancer of the stomach,esophagus,large intestine,lung,liver,breast,cervix,nasopharynx,ovary and leukemia;The incidence increased with age,and increased quickly after 45.Conclusion:The malignancy incidence in Jiangyin increased during 2002-2006.
On Market-Driven Hybrid-P2P Video Streaming

Consistent (pause-free) quality of service is required in peer-to-peer (P2P) video streaming systems. In this paper, we aim to eliminate the problem of playback pauses in such systems via the use of positive incentives for peers to contribute high upload rates. We model our problem as a market, where the market stakeholders consist of multiple content providers, advertisement providers , and network peers ; the positive incentives for peers in the market are reduced advertisement (ad) viewing durations. From a system design perspective, one of our primary goals is to compute the market equilibria that include appropriate ad viewing durations, offering sufficient incentives for network peers to continue contributing. Our simulation-based studies demonstrate that we mitigate the “playback pause” problem for peers by up to 80% as compared to existing approaches, generate sufficient utility for advertisers to be part of the market, and enable content providers to achieve their desired utility by providing sufficient incentives for all peers to stay in the system without violating ad provider agreements.
Risk and Cost of Reoperation After Single-Level Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy: A Large Database Study.

Study Design:Retrospective cohort study.Objective:To examine the risk of undergoing another cervical spine surgery after single-level posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF) and analyze the costs of ...
CRISPR: Groundbreaking technology for RNA-guided genome engineering

Years of advances in high-throughput biotechnologies exemplified by nucleic acid sequencing and single-molecular imaging have led to our increasing capacity to interrogate genomes down to nucleotide accuracy with single-cell or even subcellular resolution, thereby gaining high-dimensional information on the genetic variants and epigenetic states associated with physiological and pathological processes. To achieve a causal understanding of the exquisite biology encoded in our genome, researchers in the past decades have sought to develop companion genome engineering tools. The ability to manipulate genetic information at similar resolution and genome-scale holds the promise to reveal fundamental insights into genomics research and has wide applications across many different fields. Technologies evolved from the naturally occurring Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRs) have emerged as a versatile platform to enable this goal through RNA-guided genome engineering. Here, researchers in the CRISPR genome-editing field have presented forward-looking reviews on different modalities and applications of this groundbreaking technology, with implications for basic biology, translational medicine, and beyond.
Preoperative effects of mifepristone for dilation and evacuation after 19 weeks of gestation: a randomised controlled trial

Objective To evaluate mifepristone as an adjunct to, or replacement for, osmotic dilators for cervical preparation in surgical abortion after 19 weeks’ gestation. Design Site-stratified, double-blinded randomised controlled trial. Setting Two tertiary care teaching hospitals. Population Women undergoing dilation and evacuation at 19–236/7 weeks’ gestation from November 2013 through November 2015. Methods Participants were randomised to receive (1) mifepristone alone (n = 27), (2) osmotic dilators with mifepristone (n = 27) or (3) osmotic dilators with placebo (n = 21) with all receiving pre-procedure misoprostol. Main outcome measures Operative time, preoperative cervical dilation and complications. Results We enrolled 75 participants; mean gestation 21 weeks. Pre-procedure cervical dilation was ≥3 cm in 4, 52, and 57% of participants in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P < 0.005). Mifepristone with misoprostol for cervical preparation resulted in longer procedure times compared with osmotic dilators, with median total procedure times of (1) 18.5 (8–52), (2) 12 (7–25), and (3) 13 (6–26) minutes (P ≤ 0.005). Excluding time required for manual dilation, procedure times were similar: median times from dilation complete to evacuation complete were (1) 10.5 (4–23), (2) 8.5 (5–24), and (3) 10 (4–20) minutes (P = 0.10). Complications occurred in seven cases, six with trainees and one with an attending physician (P = 0.03), with difference by study group not reaching statistical significance (P = 0.12). Conclusions Elimination of osmotic dilators has the potential to decrease burden and opportunity cost of cervical preparation. The longer procedure time, related to manual dilation, is offset by decreasing dilator-related preoperative time and discomfort. Provider experience may impact risk when eliminating dilators. Tweetable abstract Mifepristone and misoprostol for cervical preparation prior to D&E has potential to reduce barriers to care.
Pregnancy Intention and Contraceptive Use among Women by Class of Obesity: Results from the 2006–2010 and 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth

Abstract Objective Conflicting research findings on the association of obesity and pregnancy intention may be due to their collective definition of obesity at a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or greater. However, obese women with a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or greater may be both behaviorally and clinically different from obese women with a lower BMI. This study reexamines this relationship, stratifying by class of obesity; the study also explores variations in contraceptive use by class of obesity given their potential contribution to the incidence of unintended or unwanted pregnancy. Methods This study combined data from the 2006 through 2010 and 2011 through 2013 US National Survey of Family Growth. Pregnancy intention (intended, mistimed, unwanted) and current contraceptive use (no method, barrier, pill/patch/ring/injection, long-acting reversible contraceptive, sterilization) were compared across body mass index categories: normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m kg/m2), overweight (25.0–29.9), obese class 1 (30.0–34.9 kg/m2), class 2 (35.0–39.9 kg/m2), and class 3 (≥40 kg/m2, severe obesity). Weighted multinomial logistic regressions were refined to determine independent associations of body mass index class and pregnancy intention, as well as contraceptive method, controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and reproductive factors. Results Body mass index data were available for 9,848 nonpregnant, sexually active women who reported not wanting to become pregnant. Women with class 3 obesity had significantly greater odds of mistimed (adjusted odd ratio [aOR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–2.75) or unwanted (aOR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.15–3.32) pregnancy compared with normal weight women. Women with class 2 or 3 obesity were more likely to not be using contraception (aOR, 1.53–1.62; 95% CI, 1.04–2.29). Although women with class 2 obesity were more likely to be using long-acting reversible contraceptive methods and sterilization over short-acting hormonal methods (aOR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.08–2.57; aOR, 2.05; 95% CI,1.44–2.91), this association was not observed among women with class 3 obesity. Conclusions Women with class 3 obesity are at greater risk of unintended pregnancy and are less likely to be using contraception than normal weight women. Whether these findings are related to patient and/or provider barriers that are not as visible among women with class 1 and class 2 obesity warrants further investigation.