cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extraperineal enterocele in male: A case report and literature review.

Abstract Introduction Enterocele is a herniation of the small bowel through the cul-de-sac. It is uncommon and most often seen in elder females. Large enterocele manifesting as rectal prolapse is exceedingly rare and only few cases are reported previously. Due to it rarity, the best surgical treatment is not yet established especially in male patients. We present a case of enterocele causing rectal prolapse in a male patient that was treated surgically. Presentation of case A 47-year-old African American male with chronic constipation and straining presented with manually reducible rectal prolapse. A defecography revealed a large enterocele prolapsing through the anterior rectal wall. The patient underwent an open posterior suture rectopexy with peritoneoplasty. His symptoms completely resolved after surgery, and repeat defecography three months after the procedure showed no sign of recurrence. Discussion & Conclusion Extraperineal enterocele in male is a rare disease. Rectopexy with peritoneoplasty can provide a great symptom relieve and improvement on defecography. Long-term outcome should be evaluated.
Diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1) is the most common lysosomal storage disease and affects nearly 1 in 40,000 live births. In addition, it is the most common genetic disorder in the Ashkenazi Jewish population with phenotypic variation presenting in early childhood to asymptomatic nonagenarians. There have been a number of studies showing an increased risk of certain malignancies in patients, especially non- Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma. We describe a 66-year-old Ashkenazi Jewish male with GD1 who was first started on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with imiglucerase for GD1 at age 57 years, followed a year later by the diagnosis of diffuse large b-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (DLBCL). He was treated with R-CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, plus the monoclonal antibody rituximab), however relapsed and developed myelodysplasia necessitating an allo-stem-cell transplantation but succumbed to severe graft vs. host disease. In addition, we also describe a 38-year-old Ashkenazi Jewish male with GD1 who was diagnosed with DLBCL at age 22 years with Gaucher disease diagnosed on pre-treatment bone marrow biopsy which was confirmed by enzyme assay and genotyping. At age 24 years, he was started on ERT with imiglucerase and at age 35 years, he switched to eliglustat. He has remained in remission from the lymphoma. A meta-analysis of the literature will be elaborated upon and we will discuss the relationship of GD1 to NHL and discuss more recent information regarding lyso-GL1 and the development of NHL and multiple myeloma.
Decoherence from general relativity

It is of great interest to explore matter in nontrivial quantum arrangements, including Schr\"odinger catlike states. Such states are sensitive to decoherence from their environment. Recently, in Allali and Hertzberg [Gravitational decoherence of dark matter, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2020) 056] we computed the rate of decoherence of a piece of superposed matter that primarily interacts only gravitationally, a dark-matter-Schr\"odinger-cat state (DMSCS), within the nonrelativistic approximation. In this work we improve this to a general relativistic analysis. We first derive a single particle relativistic Schr\"odinger equation for a probe particle that passes through the DMSCS; the interaction is provided by the weak field metric of general relativity from the source. For a static DMSCS we find a neat generalization of our previous results. We then turn to the interesting new case of a time dependent DMSCS, which can be provided by a coherently oscillating axion field leading to superposed time dependent oscillations in the metric: a truly quantum-general relativistic phenomenon. We use scattering theory to derive the decoherence rate in all these cases. When the DMSCS is in a superposition of distinct density profiles, we find that the decoherence rate can be appreciable. We then consider the novel special case in which the density is not in a superposition, but the phase of its field oscillation is; this is a property that cannot be decohered within the nonrelativistic framework. We find that if the probe particle and/or the DMSCS's velocity dispersion is slow, then the rate of decoherence of the phase is exponentially suppressed. However, if both the probe and the DMSCS's velocity dispersion are relativistic, then the phase can decohere more rapidly. As applications, we find that diffuse galactic axions with superposed phases are robust against decoherence, while dense boson stars and regions near black hole horizons are not, and we discuss implications for experiment.
Can Gerrymanders Be Detected? An Examination of Wisconsin’s State Assembly:

In October 2017, the Supreme Court heard an appeal of a November 2016 ruling striking down Wisconsin’s State Assembly districts as a Republican gerrymander that illegally dilutes the weight of Democratic votes. We take the opportunity to revisit this litigation to evaluate three proposed methods of detecting gerrymanders: the “efficiency gap,” a count of Assembly districts carried by statewide candidates, and the difference between the district-level partisan median and mean. The first two measures figure either centrally or peripherally in the plaintiffs’ case in Wisconsin, while the third is the approach we favor. We expand on the analysis offered at trial by evaluating how these measures fare across a variety of elections in Wisconsin and with the aid of 10,000 alternative Assembly maps drawn by computer. The alternative maps provide the appropriate baseline with which to gauge the level of vote dilution in Wisconsin and distinguish between the effect of residential geography and the Legislature’s acti...
Synthesis of Bacterial Flagella I. Requirement for Protein and Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis During Flagellar Regeneration in Bacillus subtilis

A relatively simple immunochemical procedure for estimating flagellar protein was developed. This procedure involved measuring the binding of purified, radioactively labeled, antiflagellar antibodies to bacteria. The assay was used to determine the requirements for ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein synthesis during flagellar regeneration in Bacillus subtilis. Immediate inhibition of flagella development was observed when chloramphenical or puromycin was added to cells. This inhibition indicated the absence of a large pool of flagella precursors that could be assembled in the absence of protein synthesis. When the cells were starved for uracil or treated with actinomycin D to inhibit RNA synthesis, the ability of the cells to regenerate flagella decayed with a half-life of 5.5 min. When B. subtilis auxotrophs were starved for tryptophan, they continued to synthesize flagella, although this process was also inhibited by actinomycin D. On the basis of these results, we concluded that (i) the system involved in flagellar regeneration does not have unusual metabolic stability, (ii) regeneration requires both concomitant protein and RNA syntheses, and (iii) B. subtilis continues to synthesize messenger RNA during tryptophan starvation.
Chemical investigations of the giant nerve fibers of the squid. IV. Acid-base balance in axoplasm.

Acid-base balance is substantially established for the dialyzable portion of the axoplasm of the giant nerve fiber of Loligo pealii and Dosidicus gigas. All the free components of this axoplasm which have so far been identified and quantitatively estimated are listed. For Loligo pealii this total portion is 93%, for Dosidicus gigas 95% of the weight of solutes present.
INVESTIGAÇÃO DE FALHAS OPERACIONAIS EM UMA PRODUÇÃO DE MOTORES DIESEL QUE IMPACTAM DIRETAMENTE NO CLIENTE

O presente estudo tem como objetivo trazer a visao de como pequenas falhas de operacao em uma linha de producao pode impactar em qualidade para o cliente, todavia, para que cliente esteja plenamente satisfeito com os padroes de qualidade do produto oferecido, precisa-se ser elaborados varios tipos de filtros, para minimizar erros durante o processo produtivo. O estudo foi realizado na area de producao e inspecao de qualidade, em uma empresa fabricante de motores diesel, MWM International, sediada na cidade de Canoas/RS. Durante o processo produtivo de motores, ocorrem falhas e defeitos ocasionando retrabalho, e isto gera custos de producao. Frente a isso, a necessidade de implantar processos de qualidade se faz relevante, almejando a rentabilidade da empresa e a satisfacao do cliente. Para o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa em e o atingimento do objetivo proposto, foram construidos seguintes objetivos especificos: a) investigar como e por que estas falhas ocorrem; b) identificar quais as medidas de contencao para falhas de qualidade; c) propor melhorias no processo de producao. O metodo utilizado para esta pesquisa e o estudo de caso, com abordagem de cunho qualitativo, utilizando como tecnicas de coleta de dados a observacao direta, entrevistas semiestruturadas e documentos, cruzando assim as informacoes para uma melhor analise de dados aplicando a tecnica de analise de conteudo. O estudo aponta para uma viabilidade em se adequar o processo produtivo a ferramentas de qualidade utilizadas, reduzindo gastos com retrabalho e melhorando consideravelmente os resultados produtivos com os metodos de contencao de falhas utilizados. DOI: 10.18226/23190639.v2n1.03
Norm subsidiarity and regional orders: sovereignty, regionalism and rule-making in the Third World

This paper proposes a new conceptual tool to study norm dynamics in world politics. Termed norm subsidiarity, it concerns the process whereby local actors create rules with a view to preserve their autonomy from dominance, neglect, violation, or abuse by more powerful central actors. After a theoretical discussion of the definition, motivations, and effects of norm subsidiarity, the paper offers a case study of normative action against Cold War alliances (especially South East Asia Treaty Organization) by a group of Third World leaders led by India's Jawaharlal Nehru at the Bandung Asia-Africa Conference in 1955. It then offers examples from Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa to highlight the practice of norm subsidiarity. The paper contributes to the literature of international relations in three main ways. First, it reminds constructivist international relation scholars of the importance of understanding norm creation as a bottom-up process, marked by significant contestations and feedback. Second, it highlights the normative behaviors of Third World countries and their regional institutions, a neglected aspect of the literature on norm dynamics. Finally, the theory and practice of norm subsidiarity shed more light on the agency role of Third World countries in world politics.
Green Building Liability: Considering the Applicable Standard of Care & Strategies for Establishing a Different Level by Agreement

Recently, many in the construction industry appear to be adopting the standards and practices of green buildings on new and existing projects. With this shift to more sustainable approaches by the various participants and with the corresponding need for parties that specialize in these practices to fulfill an owner’s goals, the applicable standard of care for a given relationship when a problem occurs also may become an undetermined and overlooked risk for those involved in these types of projects. As such, the applicable standard of care for liability situations concerning green building construction will inevitably become an issue the courts will need to address upon the filing of a dispute from one of these projects.A short time ago, the courts came close to deciding this issue in Shaw Development v. Southern Builders, but the parties reached a settlement prior to the trial, which precluded the court from providing some type of guidance in its opinion. Moreover, much of the research concerning an applicable standard of care for construction focuses on traditional methods. With this in mind, the meaningful and unique differences for an applicable standard of care for those involved in a green building project requires an understanding of the most likely court treatment based on existing common law and approved strategies for creating a different level through the contractual relationship.Therefore, anyone involved in a green building development needs to take an active role to make sure their written agreement will call for the correct and appropriate standard of care so that the risks associated with the currently undefined common law outcome do not become an emergent risk from a project gone wrong.
Ulnar variance: correlation of plain radiographs, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging with anatomic dissection.

Purpose Several techniques used to measure ulnar variance on a posteroanterior wrist radiograph have been described. It remains unclear whether they accurately represent the true ulnar variance of the patient. The purpose of this study was to correlate ulnar variance measurements on plain radiographs, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and anatomic dissection. Methods Posteroanterior (PA) radiographs, coronal and sagittal CT scans, and coronal MRI scans were obtained on 8 fresh-frozen cadaver wrists. The ulnar variance was measured by 5 reviewers. The specimens were then dissected, exposing the wrist joint. The ulnar variance was measured directly on each specimen using digital calipers. The inter-rater reliability was calculated for each imaging modality. The bias for each imaging modality was calculated using the digital caliper measurements as the true ulnar variance. Results Intraclass correlation coefficients demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability for each imaging modality. The average bias from the true variance was the following: PA radiograph, 0.77 mm; coronal CT, 0.96 mm; sagittal CT, 0.96 mm; MRI with articular cartilage, 0.73 mm; MRI excluding cartilage, 0.49 mm. The variance measured on all imaging modalities tended to underestimate the magnitude of the true variance. Conclusions Ulnar variance measured on coronal MRI best reflected the true ulnar variance as measured directly using calipers. The CT scans demonstrated the greatest deviation from the true variance. However, differences were small and might not be clinically meaningful. All imaging modalities demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability, with MRI being highest. All imaging modalities tended to underestimate the magnitude of the true variance. Clinical relevance The imaged underestimation of true ulnar variance should be taken into account when performing surgical procedures that alter the relative lengths of the radius and ulna.
Binding of [125I]-α bungarotoxin to particulate fractions of rat and guinea pig brain

Summary Binding of α-bungarotoxin to rat and guinea pig brain particulates is used to assay the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor as 3.4 and 2.1 pmol/g brain respectively. Postnatal development shows a continual increase of receptor (to 40 days) with a peak specific activity around 10 days.
Forced and semiline solutions of the Burgers equation

Abstract The Burgers equation with forcing of the type F(t)δ(x) is considered. By relating this problem to semiline solutions one can solve the problem via a linear Volterra integral equation.
A Ruthenium(II) Tris(bipyridyl) Amino Acid: Synthesis and Direct Incorporation into an α-Helical Peptide by Solid-Phase Synthesis

The synthesis of a ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridyl) amino acid is described along with its incorporation into a helix-forming peptide using standard solid-phase peptide synthesis methods. The physical properties of the metalloamino acid separately and in the context of the peptide are reported. The electrochemical potential, absorption spectrum, emission and excitation spectra, and emission lifetime data for the ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridyl) amino acid are similar to those of ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridine), indicating that the amino acid functionality introduced on one of the bipyridine rings does not strongly perturb the properties of the metal complex. The ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridyl) amino acid is amenable to direct incorporation into a synthetic peptide using solid-phase methods and BOC/benzyl chemistry. The 22 amino acid alanine-based peptide produced is 67% helical at 0 °C in aqueous buffer, as measured by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The 2,2,2-trifluorethanol helix induction curve and the tempera...
Intersegmental Coordination of Swimmeret Movements: Mathematical Models and Neural Circuitsa

Swimmerets move periodically through a cycle of power-strokes and return-strokes. Swimmerets on neighboring segments differ in phase by approximately 25%, and maintain this difference even when the period of the cycle changes from 4 Hz. We constructed a minimal cellular model of the segmental pattern-generating circuit which incorporated its essential components, and whose dynamics were like those of the local circuit. Three different intersegmental coordinating units were known to link neighboring ganglia, but their targets are unknown. We constructed different intersegmental circuits which these units might form between neighboring cellular models, and compared their dynamics with the real system. One intersegmental circuit could maintain an approximately 25% phase difference through a range of periods. In physiological experiments, we identified three types of intersegmental interneurons that originate in each ganglion and project to its neighbors. These neurons fire bursts at certain parts of the swimmeret cycle in their home ganglion. These three neurons are necessary and sufficient to maintain normal coordination between neighboring segments. Their properties conform to the predictions of the cellular model.
Addition of Carbon Dioxide to Dairy Products to Improve Quality: A Comprehensive Review

ABSTRACT: Changes in distribution patterns and demand for increased food quality have resulted in a desire to improve the shelf life of nonsterile dairy products. Refrigerated shelf life extension typically requires, at a minimum, reductions in the growth rate of spoilage microorganisms and subsequent product deterioration. Reducing initial bacterial loads, increasing pasteurization regimes, and reducing postprocessing contamination have all been employed with measured success. The use of antimicrobial additives has been discouraged primarily due to labeling requirements and perceived toxicity risks. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a naturally occurring milk component and inhibitory toward select dairy spoilage microorganisms; however, the precise mechanism is not fully understood. CO2 addition through modified atmosphere packaging or direct injection as a cost-effective shelf life extension strategy is used commercially worldwide for some dairy products and is being considered for others as well. New CO2 technologies are being developed for improvements in the shelf life, quality, and yield of a diversity of dairy products, including raw and pasteurized milk, cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurt, and fermented dairy beverages. Here we present a comprehensive review of past and present research related to quality improvement of such dairy products using CO2.
Recognizing gay, lesbian, and transgender teens in a child and adolescent psychiatry practice.

Gay, lesbian, and transgender adolescents are described as more vulnerable than heterosexual youth to depression, substance abuse, anxiety, academic failure, selfdestructive behaviors, and suicide (Fergusson et al., 1999). Suicide has been estimated at three to five times the rate for heterosexual youths (Anhalt and Morris, 1998). Various explanations have been suggested: one school of thought postulates that psychological damage and secondary symptoms are caused by isolation, invisibility, and cultural opprobrium (Perrin, 2002; Rosenberg, 2002); others consider homosexuality to be a pathological condition, with associated comorbidity (Bieber et al., 1962). An estimated 25% of child psychiatric patients are gay, lesbian or transgender (Fergusson et al., 1999; Lock and Steiner, 1999); nevertheless, most mental health professionals believe that far fewer of these children come to their practices.
Correlation of Yarn Strength with Fiber Strength Measured at Different Gage Lengths

The fiber strengths of 105 cottons measured with the Clemson Flat Bundle Tester at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm. gage length were correlated with the strength of yarns made from the same cottons.The correl...
Shifting boundaries of intellectual property: Authors and publishers negotiating the WWW

Abstract The World Wide Web explosion has unsettled strategic relations of power between academic authors and publishers. These disruptions provide an opportunity to reconceptualize those relations and influence future practices. By examining the divergent ways publishers and authors have thought about knowledge and its dissemination, since the 19th century, we reveal the motivations, goals, standards and perceptions of each group. Foucault explained that traditionally, authors have provided particular functions: to classify texts, to establish relationships among texts within their sociocultural contexts, and to identify bodies of work. However the roles of authors, as demonstrated in Web culture, ore shifting dramatically, thereby enabling new functions to emerge. The emerging innovative methods of text distribution and attribution are challenging the way knowledge itself is produced and distributed within particular disciplines. We meet this challenge by drawing on the interdisciplinary work of Steven Harnad (psychology), Bernard Hibbitts (law), Deborah Halbert (law), and Paul Ginsparg (physics) to examine a new authoring in which a fluid archive is drawing “author and reader communities—together” (Ginsparg, 1996, p. 5). We retheorize the relationship between authors and publishers to set the stage for collaboration and negotiation. Our revised definition of Foucault's author-function blurs the boundaries between publishers and academic authors, allowing print and digital publication to peacefully coexist in this late age of print.
Comparison of In Vivo Tissue Temperature Profile and Lesion Geometry for Radiofrequency Ablation With a Saline-Irrigated Electrode Versus Temperature Control in a Canine Thigh Muscle Preparation

Background It is thought that only a thin layer of tissue adjacent to the electrode is heated directly by electrical current (resistive heating) during radiofrequency ablation. Most of the thermal ...
Hyphenation of Raman spectroscopy with gravimetric analysis to interrogate water–solid interactions in pharmaceutical systems

A moisture sorption gravimetric analyzer has been combined with a Raman spectrometer to better understand the various modes of water-solid interactions relevant to pharmaceutical systems. A commercial automated moisture sorption balance was modified to allow non-contact monitoring of the sample properties by interfacing a Raman probe with the sample holder. This hybrid instrument allows for gravimetric and spectroscopic changes to be monitored simultaneously. The utility of this instrument was demonstrated by investigating different types of water-solid interactions including stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric hydrate formation, deliquescence, amorphous-crystalline transformation, and capillary condensation. In each of the model systems, sulfaguanidine, cromolyn sodium, ranitidine HCl, amorphous sucrose and silica gel, spectroscopic changes were observed during the time course of the moisture sorption profile. Analysis of spectroscopic data provided information about the origin of the observed changes in moisture content as a function of relative humidity. Furthermore, multivariate data analysis techniques were employed as a means of processing the spectroscopic data. Principle components analysis was found to be useful to aid in data processing, handling and interpretation of the spectral changes that occurred during the time course of the moisture sorption profile.
Atmospheric heating of meteors.

A theoretical model of the radiating metallic gas produced about an iron meteor entering the earth's atmosphere is discussed. Numerical results are presented for a 0.1 cm diameter iron meteor traveling at 15 km/sec at an altitude of 100 km above the earth. It is shown that collisions between the expanding iron gas and the air molecules produce a radiating gas shell a few meters thick which is located many meters ahead of the meteor core. Temperature, pressure, and density distributions are presented as functions of radial distance and angle for several initial meteor conditions.
Charge-changing Collisions of Stored, Multiply-charged Ions

Abstract The results of measurements of rate coefficients for electron transfer from several target gases to multiply-charged ions are summarized and discussed. These measurements were carried out primarily in Penning ion traps. The stored ions were produced at low energy by several methods, including electron impact multi-ionization of atoms and molecules, recoil ions from impact of fast, stripped, heavy ions with target gas atoms, and inner shell photoionization of atoms using synchrotron radiation. The measurements typically do not exhibit any simple variation of the rate coefficients with ion charge state at these low energies, consistent with the expected mechanism of electron transfer at avoided crossings of the equipotential surfaces of the quasi-molecule formed during the collision. The magnitudes of the rate coefficients, and their trends with charge, are compared for different ions interacting with the same target, and with calculations of the rates using Langevin theory, which predicts a linear...
Synthesis of 2′,3′-fused (3.3.0) γ-butyrolactone-nucleosides and coupling with amino-nucleosides to give amide-linked nucleotide-dimer analogues

Abstract Stereoselective hydrogenation of Wittigg products obtained readily (via the 3′-ketones) from 2′,5′-bis- O -( tert -butyldimethylsilyl)nucleosides provides efficient access to 2′,3′-fused γ-butyrolactone-nucleosides that can be coupled with 5′-amino-nucleosides (2-hydroxypyridine catalysis) to give amide-linked nucleotide-dimer analogues.
Light- and electron-microscopic changes in central nervous tissue after electrophoretic injection of glutamate

Abstract The electrophoretic injection of glutamate into the cerebral cortex of the rat caused a lightly stained area consisting of grossly swollen tissue elements in light-microscope preparations. In electron micrographs some of these structures could be identified as presynaptic terminals and dendrites. Also perinuclear and perivascular glial material showed gross swelling. The nerve cells in the lesion were heavily stained in the light- and electron-dense in the electron micrographs. This area was surrounded by a ring of dense tissue containing darkly stained nerve cells and moderately swollen apical dendrites. The magnitude of the spot of grossly swollen tissue elements was found to be proportional to the cube root of the current used for iontophoresis. The size of this spot was also a function of the glutamate concentration in the micropipette used to deposit the amino acid. The swelling of the tissue elements was reversible, but the dark nerve cells did not recover and were removed. The similarity between the “dark” cells in preparations of central nervous tissue ascribed by several authors to mechanical damage of the material, and the dark cells caused by the application of glutamate was pointed out.
Nekton Community Structure Varies in Response to Coastal Urbanization Near Mangrove Tidal Tributaries

To assess the potential influence of coastal development on estuarine-habitat quality, we characterized land use and the intensity of land development surrounding small tidal tributaries in Tampa Bay. Based on this characterization, we classified tributaries as undeveloped, industrial, urban, or man-made (i.e., mosquito-control ditches). Over one third (37 %) of the tributaries have been heavily developed based on landscape development intensity (LDI) index values >5.0, while fewer than one third (28 %) remain relatively undeveloped (LDI < 3.0). We then examined the nekton community from 11 tributaries in watersheds representing the four defined land-use classes. Whereas mean nekton density was independent of land use, species richness and nekton-community structure were significantly different between urban and non-urban (i.e., undeveloped, industrial, man-made) tributaries. In urban creeks, the community was species-poor and dominated by high densities of poeciliid fishes, Poecilia latipinna and Gambusia holbrooki, while typically dominant estuarine taxa including Menidia spp., Fundulus grandis, and Adinia xenica were in low abundance and palaemonid grass shrimp were nearly absent. Densities of economically important taxa in urban creeks were only half that observed in five of the six undeveloped or industrial creeks, but were similar to those observed in mosquito ditches suggesting that habitat quality in urban and mosquito-ditch tributaries is suboptimal compared to undeveloped tidal creeks. Furthermore, five of nine common taxa were rarely collected in urban creeks. Our results suggest that urban development in coastal areas has the potential to alter the quality of habitat for nekton in small tidal tributaries as reflected by variation in the nekton community.
Pivotal role of ballistic and quasi-ballistic electrons on LED efficiency

Abstract Significant progress in the power conversion efficiency and brightness of InGaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) has paved the way for these devices to be considered for LED lighting. In this realm, however, the efficiency must be retained at high injection levels in order to generate the lumens required. Unfortunately, LEDs undergo a monotonic efficiency degradation starting at current densities even lower than 50 A/cm2 which would hinder LED insertion into the general lighting market. The physical origins for the loss of efficiency retention are at present a topic of intense debate given its enormous implications. This paper reviews the current status of the field regarding the mechanisms that have been put forward as being responsible for the loss of efficiency, such as Auger recombination, electron overflow (spillover), current crowding, asymmetric injection of electrons and holes, and poor transport of holes through the active region, the last one being applicable to multiple quantum well designs. While the Auger recombination received early attention, increasing number of researchers seem to think otherwise at the moment in that it alone (if any) cannot explain the progressively worsening loss of efficiency reduction as the InN mole fraction is increased. Increasing number of reports seems to suggest that the electron overflow is one of the major causes of efficiency degradation. The physical driving force for this is likely to be the relatively poor hole concentration and transport, and skewed injection favoring electrons owing to their relatively high concentration. Most intriguingly there is recent experimental convincing evidence to suggest that quasi-ballistic electrons in the active region, which are not able to thermalize within the residence time and possibly longitudinal optical phonon lifetime, contribute to the carrier overflow which would require an entirely new thought process in the realm of LEDs.
Early predictors of admission or prolonged emergency department treatment for children with acute asthma

Objective To determine whether demographic, historical and clinical information available at the time of presentation to the pediatric emergency department (ED) can be used to predict which children with acute asthma are likely to require extended treatment (>5 hours in ED or hospital admission). Design Concurrent cohort study. Setting and sample Inner-city, university-based pediatric ED. Subjects were 1–18 years old (n = 181) receiving standardized asthma therapy with frequent beta-agonists and corticosteroids. Measurement Upon ED presentation, demographic information, asthma history and seven clinical variables were assessed. Bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify significant predictors of extended treatment. Positive predictive values (PPVs) for individual and combined variables were calculated. Results Overall, 30% (54 of 181) subjects required extended treatment; 8% (15 of 181) required treatment in the ED > 5 hours and 22% (39 of 181) were admitted. All but one of the asthma severity score items were significantly associated with prolonged treatment (suprasternal indrawing, P = 0.07; all others, P < 0.05). When these items were combined into the asthma scores from which they were originally derived, PPVs for extended treatment were only 45 and 50%, respectively. These PPVs for extended treatment were no better than those for individual items, which ranged between 36 and 50%. Demographic information and prior asthma history were not associated with extended treatment. Conclusions/implications for practice Although individual asthma severity score items and asthma severity scores assessed at ED presentation were associated with extended treatment, no variable, alone or in combination, had a clinically useful PPV. Decisions regarding observation unit admission for pediatric asthmatics should not solely be based on initial clinical assessment.
A Computer Program for Simulation Evaluation of IRT Ability Estimators.

This report documents the computer program which implements the design of our evaluation by simulation of IRT ability estimators (Wainer and Thissen, 1984). The program is reproduced in Appendix A and a sample of its main output file is Appendix B. It is printed here to facilitate the use of any or all of its routines in future investigations.
Scale covariance and G-varying cosmology. IV - The log N-log S relation

The traditional radio counts N(S) and radio source models are studied within the framework of the scale-covariant cosmology developed to investigate whether the relative strength of the gravitational and electromagnetic constants is a function of cosmological epoch. It is found that a gravitational constant G varying as the inverse of t, where t is the epoch in atomic units, is consistent with all the data analyzed. For a wide class of models the present cosmology allows a finer discrimination of the deceleration parameter than does standard theory. The results, when combined with those of previous papers, namely, those from radio and optical flux and angular-diameter data analysis, favor an open universe.
Challenges to the PTSD construct and its database: the importance of scientific debate.

Abstract A special issue in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders on “Challenges to the PTSD construct and its database” comes at a time when the field of traumatic stress is reexamining itself and scholars are debating the validity of basic assumptions. Some have suggested that scientific debate concerning PTSD can be opposed to the interests of victims and to those who suffer the effects of severe trauma. Yet, scientific methods, and associated critiques, provide the best way to advance our knowledge, so that professionals can provide accurate information, sound advice, and non-harmful interventions to those in need.
Factors affecting oviposition rate in the flour beetleTribolium castaneum and the origin of the population regulation mechanism

The effects of egg cannibalism, conditioned medium and the presence of quinone secretions on oviposition rate were studied using single pairs of adults to eliminate any direct crowding effects. Most measurements were made on beetles confined to the surface of the flour medium in plastic towers. Oviposition rate was decreased by about 58% when pairs were transferred from fresh to conditioned medium; lowered about 25% when only quinones were present and the medium was still fresh; and enhanced 35% in dry conditions when beetles were provided with eggs to eat. Both the lowered oviposition rate in confined cultures and egg-eating may be explained by natural selection at the individual level. Cannibalizing eggs boosts a female's oviposition rate. The presence of quinones or conditioned medium indicates high population densities and acts as a signal for ceasing oviposition and dispersing to avoid high egg mortality. In confined populations, this results in population regulation, while in open populations, this strategy is a mechanism to avoid competition. It implies that the resource shortages normally experienced by such organisms are relative, not absolute.
Evolving provider payment models and patient access to innovative medical technology

Objective:To investigate the evolving use and expected impact of pay-for-performance (P4P) and risk-based provider reimbursement on patient access to innovative medical technology.Methods:Structure...
Cloning of a Novel Water and Urea-Permeable Aquaporin from Mouse Expressed Strongly in Colon, Placenta, Liver, and Heart

Abstract An aquaporin-type water channel was isolated from mouse based on homology to known aquaporins. A 1447 bp cDNA was sequenced (designated AQP8) with a 783 bp open reading frame encoding a 261 amino acid hydrophobic protein which contained the conserved NPA motifs of MIP family members. Amino acid alignment showed greatest homology of AQP8 to plant water channel γTIP (38% identity) followed by mammalian water channels AQP4 (32%) and AQP2 (31%). Northern blot analysis indicated a 1.7 kb transcript expressed strongly in placenta > colon > liver ∼ heart. RT-PCR with AQP8-specific primers and Southern blot analysis showed AQP8 transcript in the above tissues and in pancreas, lung, kidney, submandibular gland, diaphragm, testis, spleen, stomach and brain. Expression of AQP8 cRNA inXenopusoocytes increased osmotic water permeability from (0.8 ± 0.1) × 10−3cm/s to (22 ± 3) × 10−3cm/s (10 °C) in a mercurial-sensitive manner. AQP8 was also permeable to urea but not to glycerol. Normalization for oocyte plasma membrane expression using cMyc-tagged AQP8 indicated a single channel water permeability of 8.2 × 10−14cm3/s. AQP8 is unique among the water channels in terms of its urea permeability and its strong expression in gastrointestinal organs, placenta and heart.
Differential Effects of Acute and Chronic Exposure to Interferon-γ on Cyclic Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate Response Element-Regulated Gene Expression1

TSH stimulates proliferation and maintains differentiated function in thyroid follicular cells. The mitogenic activity and the stimulatory effects of TSH on thyroid-specific gene expression are impaired by interferon-gamma (IFNgamma); however, the mechanisms for these effects have not been elucidated in detail. We examined the effects of IFNgamma on acute responses to TSH in rat thyroid cells. IFNgamma did not impair TSH-stimulated p70/p85 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70/p85s6k) activity or cAMP response element (CRE)-regulated gene expression, although it inhibited DNA synthesis and thyroglobulin expression, effects measured over a more prolonged time course than those on kinase activity and reporter gene expression. Unexpectedly, when cells were chronically exposed to IFNgamma, CRE-lacZ promoter activity was decreased, whereas other cAMP-mediated signals, such as p70/p85s6k activity and CRE-binding protein phosphorylation, were unaffected. Activating protein-1-regulated promoters were also impaired by IFNgamma treatment, but with kinetics that differed from those of CRE-regulated promoters. Neither acute nor chronic treatment with interleukin-1beta impaired cAMP signaling, indicating that the effects of IFNgamma are specific. These studies identify CRE- and activating protein-1-regulated promoters as targets of IFNgamma in thyroid cells and fibroblasts. IFNgamma-mediated inhibition of these promoters, in addition to those containing thyroid-specific transcription factor-1-binding sites, may contribute to the profound effects of IFNgamma on thyroid cells.
Thermodynamic consistency of liquid-gas lattice Boltzmann simulations.

Lattice Boltzmann simulations have been very successful in simulating liquid-gas and other multiphase fluid systems. However, the underlying second-order analysis of the equation of motion has long been known to be insufficient to consistently derive the fourth-order terms that are necessary to represent an extended interface. These same terms are also responsible for thermodynamic consistency---i.e., to obtain a true equilibrium solution with both a constant chemical potential and a constant pressure. In this article we present an equilibrium analysis of nonideal lattice Boltzmann methods of sufficient order to identify those higher-order terms that lead to a lack of thermodynamic consistency. We then introduce a thermodynamically consistent forcing method.
Release of CO2 from carbonate rocks during regional metamorphism of lithologically heterogeneous crust

Prograde regional metamorphism drives CO 2 from carbonate rock to crustal fluids that ascend and ultimately interact with the atmosphere and oceans. The observed loss of CO 2 from metamorphic belts remains problematic, however, because the cooling that accompanies fluid ascent favors reactions that add CO 2 to metacarbonate rock by removing CO 2 from fluids. A new two-dimensional model of coupled mass transfer, chemical reaction, and heat transport was developed to assess how rock devolatilization proceeds along the upward escape paths of crustal fluids during prograde metamorphism. The model is based on upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies growth of amphibole in metacarbonate layers and garnet and biotite in intercalated metapelite layers of the Wepawaug Schist, Connecticut (Acadian orogeny). The modeling indicates that during heating, CO 2 concentrations were larger in metacarbonate layers than in adjacent metapelite layers because amphibole growth in metacarbonates produced CO 2 , whereas garnet and biotite growth in metapelites produced H 2 O. The resulting cross-layer concentration gradients drove H 2 O into the metacarbonate layers and CO 2 out by diffusion and the transverse component of mechanical dispersion. Such cross-layer mass transfer can continually force rock decarbonation while fluids ascend, dominating the effects of cooling, unless fluid fluxes are large and prograde heating rates are small. Consequently, prograde metamorphism of carbonate-bearing sedimentary sequences containing significant amounts of pelitic rock will release CO 2 to regionally migrating fluids in a wide range of orogenic settings, regardless of whether flow is in a direction of increasing or decreasing temperature. Regional CO 2 release can be driven by outcrop-scale processes of volatile exchange between contrasting lithologies.
CMOS baseband filter for WCDMA integrated wireless receivers

A new second-order lowpass filter based on a single CMOS fully differential current conveyor is presented. Developed from the Sallen-Key highpass filter, the proposed filter is AC coupled and provides programmable gain. Moreover, the filter exhibits low noise, high linearity and low power, making it suitable for implementing the baseband filter of a WCDMA direct-conversion wireless receiver. A WCDMA filter having a programmable bandwidth around 2.1 MHz, a variable gain range of 50 dB and a DC notch below 2 kHz using passive components below 5 kW for resistors and 20 pF for capacitors is implemented. Experimental and simulation results obtained from fabricated chips are included.
Tissue engineering the monosynaptic circuit of the stretch reflex arc with co-culture of embryonic motoneurons and proprioceptive sensory neurons

The sensory circuit of the stretch reflex arc is composed of intrafusal muscle fibers and their innervating proprioceptive neurons that convert mechanical information regarding muscle length and tension into action potentials that synapse onto the homonymous motoneurons in the ventral spinal cord which innervate the extrafusal fibers of the same muscle. To date, the in vitro synaptic connection between proprioceptive sensory neurons and spinal motoneurons has not been demonstrated. A functional in vitro system demonstrating this connection would enable the understanding of feedback by the integration of sensory input into the spinal reflex arc. Here we report a co-culture of rat embryonic motoneurons and proprioceptive sensory neurons from dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in a defined serum-free medium on a synthetic silane substrate (DETA). Furthermore, we have demonstrated functional synapse formation in the co-culture by immunocytochemistry and electrophysiological analysis. This work will be valuable for enabling in vitro model systems for the study of spinal motor control and related pathologies such as spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy and spasticity by improving our understanding of the integration of the mechanosensitive feedback mechanism.
Methinks they do protest too much

Abstract A serious methodological error was committed by Stephens et al. (1972), the protestations of the present critics notwithstanding. When studying the relationship between two sets of variables, it is clearly wrong to hold chonological age constant in one set and allow it to vary in the other. This error spuriously reduces the correlation between the two sets. A demonstration that the two sets define different first-order factors provides very little information about the degree of relationship present, which must be derived from the intercorrelations of those factors. In the original research, these were also biased by the methodological error. The conclusion of Humphreys and Parsons that Piagetian tasks and intelligence tests could be used interchangeably is reinforced. The hypothesis that the relatively small amount of unique variance in the Piagetian composite is relatively unimportant psychologically can only be discarded on the basis of good empirical research, not debater's arguments.
Disagreement and Epistemic Utility-Based Compromise

Epistemic utility theory seeks to establish epistemic norms by combining principles from decision theory and social choice theory with ways of determining the epistemic utility of agents’ attitudes. Recently, Moss (Mind, 120(480), 1053–69, 2011) has applied this strategy to the problem of finding epistemic compromises between disagreeing agents. She shows that the norm “form compromises by maximizing average expected epistemic utility”, when applied to agents who share the same proper epistemic utility function, yields the result that agents must form compromises by splitting the difference between their credence functions. However, this “split the difference” norm is in conflict with conditionalization, since applications of the two norms don’t commute. A common response in the literature seems to be to abandon the procedure of splitting the difference in favor of compromise strategies that avoid non-commutativity. This would also entail abandoning Moss’ norm. I explore whether a different response is feasible. If agents can use epistemic utility-based considerations to agree on an order in which they will apply the two norms, they might be able to avoid diachronic incoherence. I show that this response can’t save Moss’ norm, because the agreements concerning the order of compromising and updating it generates are not stable over time, and hence cannot avoid diachronic incoherence. I also show that a variant of Moss’ norm, which requires that the weights given to each agent’s epistemic utility change in a way that ensures commutativity, cannot be justified on epistemological grounds.