cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Northeastern Forage and Forest Region: LRR R

The Northeastern Forage and Forest Region (Land Resource Region R) is located in New England and composed of nine MLRAs. The area is geologically complex and generally blanketed by till and a variety of glaciofluvial deposits from the Pleistocene glacial advance. Landscapes range from hills and mountains, to nearly level lacustrine and alluvial plains. Vegetation is dominantly forests; with central hardwoods in the south, northern deciduous hardwoods in the middle portion, and boreal conifer forests in the north. Agriculture production (row crops, dairy, truck farms) is common, but limited by the steep slopes, short growing season, and cool summer temperatures . Soil properties are governed by the type of glacial deposit, depth of till over bedrock, mineralogy of parent materials, and degree of pedogenesis. Alfisols dominate the southernmost part of the region (MLRA 139), while Inceptisols and Spodosols are more abundant in other MRLAs. Generally, soils on till-covered uplands have loamy textures , are acidic, and have an abundance of rock fragments. Steep slopes and dense, compacted subsoils are two other land use limitations for many soils. Glaciofluvial and alluvial soils range from sandy to clayey to organic rich. They often have wetness limitations that limit their use.
Resonance X-ray scattering from Pt(1 1 1) surfaces under water☆

The resonance X-ray scattering from the unmodified, clean Pt(1 1 1) surface is compared to theoretically predicted scattering. Self-consistent real-space multiple-scattering approach is used to calculate the real and imaginary parts of the atomic platinum scattering factor. The experimentally observed near-edge fine structures of the surface scattering and fluorescence intensities are well reproduced by the calculations. In addition, more details are presented on our previous study [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 552 (1999)] of electrochemically formed oxide monolayer on the Pt(1 1 1) surface.
Topoi and Tekmēria : Rhetorical Fluidity among Aristotle, Isocrates, and Alcidamas

Topological criticism gains dynamism when it attends to texts’ chronologies. The topos in Aristotle’s Rhetoric gains clarity when read within the context of Aristotle’s spatial metaphor of reasoning as cognitive motion. Further, the dynamics of probabilistic topoi over time can be more clearly understood when conjoined with a focus on tekmēria, signs held to be necessary in the negative spaces of self-evidence and impossibility. The quasi-dialogue between Isocrates’ Against the Sophists and Alcidamas’ About the Writers of Written Speeches, a debate about the relative temporal characteristics of written and oral discourse, offers warrants for the claims that topological criticism can be dynamic. Read together, these texts reveal the workings of time-in-texts and texts-in-time at the fulcrum between orality and literacy in ancient Greek thought.
Schelling on understanding organisms

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I attempt to reconstruct Schelling’s theory of organism, primarily as it is elaborated in the First Outline of a System of the Philosophy of Nature and the Introduction to the Outline. First, I discuss the challenge that the properties of organisms presented to the dominant scientific viewpoint by the end of the eighteenth century. I present different responses to this challenge, including reductive materialism, metaphysical and heuristic vitalism, and the Kantian response, and I situate Schelling’s account of organism with respect to these responses. I argue that while Schelling agrees with vitalism in that he wants to preserve the specificity of organic phenomena, he rejects principles such as vital forces or the formative drive postulated by vitalism, even for purely heuristic purposes. I argue that Schelling understands organisms fundamentally in terms of the coordinated functioning of their organs. I further clarify Schelling’s account of problematic organic phenomena by focusi...
A novel low-complexity digital filter design for wearable ECG devices

Wearable and implantable Electrocardiograph (ECG) devices are becoming prevailing tools for continuous real-time personal health monitoring. The ECG signal can be contaminated by various types of noise and artifacts (e.g., powerline interference, baseline wandering) that must be removed or suppressed for accurate ECG signal processing. Limited device size, power consumption and cost are critical issues that need to be carefully considered when designing any portable health monitoring device, including a battery-powered ECG device. This work presents a novel low-complexity noise suppression reconfigurable finite impulse response (FIR) filter structure for wearable ECG and heart monitoring devices. The design relies on a recently introduced optimally-factored FIR filter method. The new filter structure and several of its useful features are presented in detail. We also studied the hardware complexity of the proposed structure and compared it with the state-of-the-art. The results showed that the new ECG filter has a lower hardware complexity relative to the state-of-the-art ECG filters.
Abstract P609: Estrogen Receptor ERα Plays a Major Role in Oxidative Stress Dependent Myocardial Dysfunction Caused by Ethanol in Conscious Female Rats

Ethanol elicits estrogen (E 2 )-dependent myocardial oxidative stress and dysfunction in female rats. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of the individual E 2 receptor (ER), ERα, ERβ, and the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor-1 (GPER), in the ethanol-evoked myocardial dysfunction. To achieve this goal, female rats in proestrus phase (highest E 2 level) received selective antagonist (200 μg/kg; i.v) of ERα (MPP), ERβ (PHTPP) or GPER (G15) or saline 30 min before ethanol (1 g/kg; i.v) or saline infusion. ERα blockade virtually abrogated ethanol-evoked myocardial dysfunction and hypotension, while ERβ blockade had no effect on the hypotensive response, but caused delayed attenuation of the ethanol-evoked reductions in left ventricular developed pressure and the rate of left ventricle pressure rise. GPER blockade caused delayed attenuation of both cardiovascular effects of ethanol. While all 3 ERs subtype antagonists attenuated the ethanol-evoked increases in myocardial catalase and ALDH2 activities, ERα blockade also inhibited myocardial catalase activity in the absence of ethanol. Ethanol-evoked elevation in myocardial ROS and enhancement of myocardial Akt, ERK1/2, eNOS and nNOS phosphorylation were attenuated by the 3 ER subtype antagonists. In conclusion, the findings support a greater role for ERα signaling in the E 2 -dependent myocardial oxidative stress and dysfunction caused by ethanol in proestrus rats.
Small Islands, Intriguing Landscapes

The Lesser Antilles comprises three main island groups: Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, and Leeward Antilles. Stretching from the Virgin Islands in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south and encompassing Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao to the east, the Lesser Antilles remain a geomorphologically and anthorpogenically diverse region. While this chapter introduces offers the reader a (very) brief overview of this fascinating and under-studied world region, its main focus rests in explaining this volume’s structure and function, including notes regarding vernacular, historical accuracy, and the splendid cartography.
Parallel Activin and BMP signaling coordinates R7/R8 photoreceptor subtype pairing in the stochastic Drosophila retina

Drosophila color vision is achieved by comparing outputs from two types of color-sensitive photoreceptors, R7 and R8. Ommatidia (unit eyes) are classified into two subtypes, known as 'pale' or 'yellow', depending on Rhodopsin expression in R7 and R8. Subtype specification is controlled by a stochastic decision in R7 and instructed to the underlying R8. We find that the Activin receptor Baboon is required in R8 to receive non-redundant signaling from the three Activin ligands, activating the transcription factor dSmad2. Concomitantly, two BMP ligands activate their receptor, Thickveins, and the transcriptional effector, Mad. The Amon TGFβ processing factor appears to regulate components of the TGFβ pathway specifically in pale R7. Mad and dSmad2 cooperate to modulate the Hippo pathway kinase Warts and the growth regulator Melted; two opposing factors of a bi-stable loop regulating R8 Rhodopsin expression. Therefore, TGFβ and growth pathways interact in postmitotic cells to precisely coordinate cell-specific output.
Monthly variation of unfinished nursing care at the US Army Burn Center.

Abstract Objective To describe the monthly variation in the prevalence and patterns of unfinished nursing care and to determine the relationships between the system of nursing care and unfinished nursing care at the US Army Burn Center. Methods This was a repeated measures, descriptive study. For one week per month for six months, all nurses providing direct patient care on two inpatient burn units (intensive care and progressive care) were asked to complete an anonymous paper survey, which contained the Perceived Implicit Rationing of Nursing Care instrument, to estimate the prevalence of unfinished nursing care on their unit. Unit administrative data also were collected from the unit nursing leaders each month. Descriptive statistics and multilevel modeling were used in the analysis. Results Most (80.5%) eligible nurses participated at least once; 46.6% participated three or more times. A high proportion (85.7–100%) of nurses left at least one element of care unfinished; the mean number of activities left unfinished over each 7 shift period per nurse was 16.2. Only nursing care hours provided by float staff significantly predicted nurse estimates of unfinished nursing care, β = .008, SE = .001, p Conclusions The prevalence of unfinished nursing care at the US Army Burn Center was high and generally consistent with other studies of unfinished nursing care in non-burn settings. The inability to meet the demand for nursing care, as evidenced by the presence of unfinished nursing care, may be the result of a limited surge capacity. Implications for research, policy, and practice were discussed.
Helping Couples Dispel Myths and Self-Defeating Beliefs and Behaviors that Sabotage Relationships and Marriage

This chapter addresses myths and misconceptions that can negatively impact couple relationships. Examples of myths include the following: communicating expectations is unnecessary, marriage should not be a lot of work, love conquers all, marriage is a constant that never changes, and conflict should be avoided. In addition, four typical games that couples engage in that sabotage relationships are discussed and illustrated through case studies. Irrational beliefs and cognitive distortions that have a negative influence on couple relationships will also be identified and discussed. The chapter concludes with specific examples of effective cognitive, emotive, and behavioral interventions that practitioners can apply with their clients in couple counseling.
Participating in the Governance of Trade : The GATT, UNCTAD, and WTO

(2003). Participating in the Governance of Trade : The GATT, UNCTAD, and WTO. International Journal of Political Economy: Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 28-42.
Employer Responses to a City-Level Minimum Wage Mandate: Early Evidence from Seattle:

A growing number of cities and counties have recently raised their minimum wages. How employers respond to these mandates provides insight into the impact such policies might have on workers and lo...
Conceptions of Psychopathology: A Social Constructionist Perspective

A textbook about a topic should begin with a clear defi nition of the topic. Unfortunately, for a textbook on psychopathology, this is a diffi cult if not impossible task. Th e defi nitions or conceptions of psychopathology and such related terms as mental disorder have been the subject of heated debate throughout the history of psychology and psychiatry, and the debate is far from over (e.g., Gorenstein, 1984; Horwitz, 2002; Widiger, 1997). Despite its many variations, this debate has centered on a single overriding question: Are psychopathology and related terms such as mental disorder and mental illness scientifi c terms that can be defi ned objectively and by scientifi c criteria, or are they social constructions (Gergen, 1985) that are defi ned entirely by societal and cultural values? It is important to address this issue in the opening chapter because the reader’s view of the rest of this book will be infl uenced by his or her view on this issue.
Solriamfetol for the treatment of daytime sleepiness in obstructive sleep apnea

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent and constitutes a major health hazard. Current pharmacotherapy is ineffective in correcting sleep-disordered breathing and is used adjunctively to address residual sleepiness. A new drug, solriamfetol, a selective norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor, is the first drug of its class that is being considered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat excessive sleepiness in OSA and narcolepsy patients. Areas covered: This review covers drug chemistry, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and metabolism of solriamfetol. Results of three Phase 3 trials, Treatment of OSA and Narcolepsy Excessive Sleepiness (TONES 3, 4, 5), relevant to OSA patients are summarized. Published abstracts/articles and a 2017 Jazz Investor Presentation provided data. Databases searched included PubMed, Google Scholar, Lexi-Comp, Scopus, Science, and Ovid. Expert commentary: Solriamfetol shows promise as adjunctive therapy in OSA. It is well tolerated and effective in reducing sleepiness and is an alternative to modafinil or armodafinil. Unlike stimulants like methylphenidate or dextroamphetamine, it does not have cardiac effects, rebound hypersomnia, or withdrawal effects.
Prevalence of Patient-Reported Symptoms of Dysphonia and Dysphagia in Movement Disorder Patients at an Academic Medical Center (P1.045)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of patient-reported quality of life (QOL) measures of dysphonia and dysphagia in movement disorder patients at an academic medical center. Background: Patient-reported symptoms of voice and swallowing impairment are thought to be common in movement disorders, namely dystonia, Parkinson’s disease (PD), atypical parkinsonisms (AP), and Essential Tremor (ET). Design/Methods: All patients with movement disorders referred to the movement disorders clinic were given two validated voice and swallowing specific QOL questionnaires: Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10). Clinical normative values were used to rate patients’ quality of life impairment. Results: One hundred sixty-six consecutive movement disorder patients (males=98 and females=68) completed the questionnaires [(n values were PD=62, AP=21, ET=34, dystonia=17), and “other” (myoclonus=8, ataxia=8, orthostatic tremor=2, hemifacial spasm=1)]. We excluded the “other” group from analysis due to the small n values. Prevalence of patient-reported dysphonia symptoms was 32% in PD, 33% in AP, 9% in ET, and 35% in dystonia. Overall, ET patients had lower prevalence of patient-reported dysphonia symptoms when compared to PD, AP, and dystonia (p=0.0119, p=0.0454, p=0.0325, respectively). Prevalence of patient-reported dysphagia symptoms was 6% in PD, 29% in AP, 3% in ET, and 24% in dystonia. Overall, there was a significant difference between disease groups (p=0.004) with ET having lower reported dysphagia symptoms than dystonia and AP (p=0.0371, p=0.0097, respectively), and PD having lower than AP (p=0.0144). Conclusions: In this single center cohort, patient-reported dysphonia symptoms were present in almost one third of patients with PD, AP and dystonia. AP and dystonia had a much higher prevalence of reported dysphagia symptoms than PD and ET. Patient-reported QOL measures such as VHI-10 and EAT-10 can help screen movement disorder patients for symptoms of dysphonia and dysphagia. Disclosure: Dr. Finger has nothing to disclose. Dr. Siddiqui has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tate has nothing to disclose. Dr. Haq has nothing to disclose. Dr. Madden has nothing to disclose.
Adolescent Maltreatment and Risk Behaviors: A Comparison of Child Protective Service Reports and Youth Self-reports

Adolescence is a critical period in the development of close peer-relationships and identity formation. The degree of harm experienced by the maltreatment can be amplified by the subjective meaning the adolescent victim ascribes. Assessing maltreatment experience on adolescent victims’ perspective is critical to understand their subsequent risk behaviors in addition to Child Protective Service (CPS) reports. The current study explores how youth risk behaviors are predicted by maltreatment experiences which occurred between the ages of 12 and 16 by two different maltreatment informants, adolescent self-report and CPS reports. The study included 694 adolescents who completed self-report of maltreatment questions and also had available CPS records from Longitudinal Study of Child Abuse and Neglect. The findings of the study suggest that there are significant differences in predicting youth risk behaviors between CPS reports and youth self-reports. Adolescents’ subjective appraisals of their maltreatment experiences independently contributed to the prediction of their risk behaviors. Addressing youth’s perception of maltreatment experiences through self-reports in addition to CPS reports has significant implication for understanding their risk behaviors and working with them in practice settings.
Beyond households: regional determinants of housing instability among low-income renters in the United States

Scholars have increasingly highlighted housing instability, often represented by negative forms of residential mobility, as a growing problem in the United States. However, little empirical evidenc...
Using a Radial Diffusion Method to Investigate the Role of Plasmin Degradation of Fibrin in a Physical Model of an Early-phase Wound.

BACKGROUND Fibrin clot formation, which acts to stabilize a wound following injury, is among the key early aspects of dermal wound healing. This preliminary matrix is eventually degraded via a process known as fibrinolysis and replaced with a collagen-rich matrix that continues to be remodeled to minimize scarring. Disruptions in these carefully coordinated events lead to certain undesirable conditions such as fibrosis and the formation of abnormal scars that are associated with excess amounts of collagen. The hypothesis proposed herein is that the presence of collagen (and potentially other molecules) in an early-phase model of healing alters fibrinolysis and that this effect can be attenuated with mediators of the process. MATERIALS AND METHODS Laboratory in vitro experiments were conducted using agarose-fibrin gel systems with and without collagen to study fibrinolysis caused by plasmin (a serine protease that degrades fibrin) and the effects of aprotinin (a serine protease inhibitor) and bromelain (an extract from pineapple) on fibrin clot breakdown. The extent of fibrinolysis was monitored at various times (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours) by measuring the size of rings of fibrinolysis following the diffusion of plasmin. The data obtained at 0.5, 12, and 24-hour time points were considered (because there was no difference found in the data collected for closer intermediates nor for the longer times beyond 24 hours) and were compared using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U statistical significance test. RESULTS The results obtained showed aprotinin significantly inhibited fibrinolysis in systems containing collagen, while bromelain improved fibrinolysis. In general, the presence of increasing amounts of collagen in the system decreased the extent of fibrinolysis. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the notion that early-phase deposition of collagen contributes to disrupted fibrinolysis, which could lead to impaired healing as well as potentially facilitate control of fibrinolysis.
Social Justice in Action: A Document Analysis of the Integration of Social Justice Principles into Teaching

Teachers of all students, particularly English Learners (ELs), need to integrate social justice pedagogy into their lessons so that all learners are included in the learning process, thinking critically about curriculum and taking action in the face of injustice. There has been some research into teacher preparation programs focusing on how they integrate culturally responsive and social justice pedagogy into their curricula and whether there has been a positive impact on teachers’ self-awareness, social justice knowledge and classroom practices as a result (Ruffin, 2016; Thieman, 2016). However, these studies do not address lesson content. This document analysis study, framed theoretically with critical intercultural communication (Halualani & Nakayama, 2010), explored the integration of social justice principles into lesson plans developed by pre-service and in-service English as a second language (ESL) teachers who were pursuing a TESOL graduate degree (Initial License) at a university in the Northeast of the United States. The lesson plans were analyzed using a rubric aligned with the Social Justice Standards: The Teaching Tolerance Anti-Biases Framework. The exploration unveiled the need for more connections to students’ backgrounds, structured in-class dialogues, support for linguistic needs and modeling of intercultural practices.
Psychedelic-like Properties of Quipazine and Its Structural Analogues in Mice.

Known classic psychedelic serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonists retain a tryptamine or phenethylamine at their structural core. However, activation of the 5-HT2AR can be elicited by drugs lackin...
Point-of-Care CRISPR-Cas-Assisted SARS-CoV-2 Detection in an Automated and Mobile Droplet Magnetofluidic Device

Abstract In the fight against COVID-19, there remains unmet needs in developing point-of-care (POC) diagnostic testing tools that can rapidly and sensitively detect the causative SARS-CoV-2 virus to control disease transmission and improve patient management. Although recent CRISPR-Cas-assisted SARS-CoV-2 detection assays (such as DETECTR and SHERLOCK) are viewed as transformative solutions for POC diagnostic testing, their lack of simple sample processing and full integration within an automated and portable device hamper their potential for POC use. We report herein POC-CRISPR – a new single-step CRISPR-Cas-assisted assay that is coupled to droplet magnetofluidics (DM) – that leverages simple magnetic concentration and transport of nucleic acid-binding magnetic beads to accomplish sample preparation and assay automation. By further adapting the assay into a fully integrated thermoplastic cartridge within a palm-sized mobile device, POC-CRISPR was able to detect 1 genome equivalent (GE)/µL SARS-CoV-2 RNA from a sample volume of 100 µL in 30 min. Moreover, when evaluated with unprocessed clinical nasopharyngeal (NP) swab eluates, POC-CRISPR identified SARS-CoV-2 positive samples in as short as 20 min and achieved full concordance with standard RT-qPCR.
COVID-19 Vaccination Rates by Global Universal Health Care Coverage Status

Healthcare coverage and the type of insurance have always played huge roles in public health outcomes. With coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccination now available across the world, we sought to determine vaccination rates across countries with Universal Health Care (UHC) coverage versus those without. We utilized the vaccination information from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations website, and calculated early vaccination rate for each country as of January, 13, 2021 by dividing the total number of vaccinations given to the total population of the country. We observed that the average early vaccination rate for countries with UHC was 1.55%, whereas that for countries without UHC was 0.51%. Countries with UHC are performing much better than those without UHC in this initial race for providing herd immunity across the globe. Copyright © 2021 Dongarwar and Salihu. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.
Atomic scale investigation of aluminum incorporation, defects, and phase stability in β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films

The development of novel ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) materials requires precise understanding of the atomic level structural origins that give rise to their important properties. We study the aluminum atom incorporation, defect formation, and their relationships with phase stability in β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films, a promising candidate for UWBG applications, to explain atomic scale structural characteristics and properties using a combination of quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and density functional theory (DFT). Our STEM analysis indicates that ∼54% of the incorporated Al substitutes on the octahedrally coordinated Ga2 site in a series of films grown with different techniques and alloy concentrations. DFT calculations show that, while Al energetically prefers the octahedral site, surface reconstructions and kinetic limitations during the epitaxial growth are responsible for Al occupying both octahedral and tetrahedral sites in (AlxGa1−x)2O3, ultimately limiting the stability of the β-phase at x < ∼50%. Local heterogeneity of composition results in the formation of a planar defect, affecting the stability of the β-phase. The similarity of such inclusions to the metastable γ-phase is discussed.
Severity of Sleep Apnea and COVID-19 Illness

ObjectiveTo characterize the relationship between severity of sleep apnea and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalization and severe illness.Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingMo...
β-(AlxGa(1 −x))2O3 epitaxial growth, doping and transport

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of the background and current status of epitaxial growth, doping, and transport in alloys and heterostructures of (AlxGa(1 − x))2O3. Recent advances in the epitaxial growth of (AlxGa(1 − x))2O3 by molecular beam epitaxy and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are reviewed. Recent work on impurity doping and carrier transport in thin films as well as modulation-doped heterostructures is discussed. Recent results on n-type doping in alloy thin films, as well as state-of-art mobility and 2-dimensional electron gas channels in modulation doped-structures are reviewed.
Postpartum stress and protective factors in women who gave birth in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives:The COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable stress throughout the world. Little is known about how postpartum women who gave birth during the early months of the pandemic were impacted...
Effect of Using Silver Nylon Dressings on Postoperative Pain after Cesarean Delivery.

OBJECTIVE Silver dressings have been associated with a decrease in postoperative pain in selected populations, but it is unknown if the benefit can be observed after cesarean deliveries. We sought to evaluate the impact of silver nylon dressings in reducing postoperative pain after cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN A secondary analysis of data from a blinded randomized clinical trial of women undergoing cesarean delivery scheduled and unscheduled at a single site was conducted. Women were recruited for participation from a single site and randomized to a silver nylon dressing or an identical-appearing gauze wound dressing. Wounds were evaluated in the outpatient clinic at 1 and 6 weeks after delivery and patient responded to the modified patient scar assessment scale. The primary outcome of this analysis was inpatient opioid and nonopioid analgesic dispensed. The secondary outcome was patient-reported pain at the 1- and 6-week postpartum visits. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, Student's t-test, Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney's test, and logistic regression where appropriate. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Among the 649 participants, women allocated to the silver nylon dressing group, when compared with the gauze group, were similar in the amount of dispensed opioid and nonopioid analgesic medications (morphine equivalent milligrams of opioids dispensed [82.5 vs. 90 mg, p = 0.74], intravenous nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [120 vs. 120 mg, p = 0.55], and oral NSAIDs [4,800 vs. 5,600 mg in the gauze group, p = 0.65]). After adjusting for confounding variables, postoperative wound infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 11.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.51-30.31) at 1-week postoperative and again at 6-week postoperative (aOR: 5.59; 95% CI: 1.03-30.31) but not gauze dressing was associated with patient-reported postoperative pain. CONCLUSION Among women undergoing cesarean delivery, silver nylon dressing was not associated with a reduction in postoperative pain. KEY POINTS · Silver dressings showed no decrease in pain medications.. · Wound infection is associated with pain postoperatively.. · Silver dressings did not reduce postoperative pain..
Determination of transmission coefficients from finite planar composites using spatial averaging

Spatial averaging is used in conjunction with the normalized data to remove errors in acquiring transmission coefficients from finite material panels. This is illustrated by data obtained from a UTD code, NEC-BSC, and a MM code, ESP. The errors from the scattering from the edges of the panel and scattering between the receiving antenna and the panel are effectively removed with this technique. The minimum size of the panel needed as well as the necessary starting, ending and number of samples points will be discussed.
Metadata logging in an NFS server

Over the last few years, there have been several efforts to use logging to improve performance, reliability, and recovery times of file systems. The two major techniques are metadata logging, where the log records metadata changes and is a supplement to the on-disk file system, and log-structured file systems, whose log is their only on-disk representation. When the file system is mainly or wholly accessed through the Network File System (NFS) protocol, it adds new considerations to the suitability of the logging technique. NFS requires that all operations be updated to stable storage before returning. As a result, file system implementations that were effective for local access may perform poorly on an NFS server. This paper analyzes the issues regarding the use of logging on an NFS server, and describes an implementation of a BSD Fast File System (FFS) with metadata logging that performs effectively for a dedicated NFS server.
Weak Democracy, Strong Information: The Role of Information Technology in the Rulemaking Process

Techno-optimists advocate the application of information technology to the rulemaking process as a means of advancing strong democracy - that is, direct, broad-based citizen involvement in regulatory policy making. In this paper, I show that such optimism is unfounded given the obstacles to meaningful citizen deliberation posed by the impenetrability of current e-rulemaking developments, the prevailing level of citizen disengagement from politics and policy making more generally, and most citizens' lack of the requisite technical information about and understanding of the issues at stake in regulatory decision making. As such, a more realistic goal for the application of new technology to the regulatory process is to expand the information base available to regulatory decision makers through increased interest group pluralism. Instead of creating conditions of strong democracy, information technology can expand the involvement and access of informed, knowledgeable, and affected parties to the rulemaking process, a weaker form of democracy that nevertheless can provide better information for government officials.
Fairness Obligations and Non-Acceptance of Benefits:

It is widely held that an adequate theory of political obligation must be general; that is, it must establish requirements to obey the law for all or virtually all members of a given population. In regard to the principle of fairness (or fair play), generality poses a challenge, because many people claim not to want or to accept major benefits provided by the state. However, because the most important state benefits are public goods and so received even if they are not accepted, the implications of not accepting these benefits differ from those of not accepting excludable goods. Because of complex psychological aspects of rejecting non-excludable goods, rejecting such benefits frees recipients of obligations they would otherwise have only if they can pass an ‘alternative test’, and so explain how they would manage if rejection of the benefits actually prevented their receipt.
Cognitive influences as mediators of family and peer support for pediatric cancer survivors' physical activity

Objective Determine the extent to which self-efficacy mediates the relations between social support and childhood cancer survivors’ physical activity (PA).
Adaptive Security in Broadcast Encryption Systems (with Short Ciphertexts)

We present new techniques for achieving adaptive security in broadcast encryption systems. Previous work on fully collusion resistant broadcast encryption systems with very short ciphertexts was limited to considering only static security. First, we present a new definition of security that we call semi-static security and show a generic "two-key" transformation from semi-statically secure systems to adaptively secure systems that have comparable-size ciphertexts. Using bilinear maps, we then construct broadcast encryption systems that are semi-statically secure in the standard model and have constant-size ciphertexts. Our semi-static constructions work when the number of indices or identifiers in the system is polynomial in the security parameter. For identity-based broadcast encryption, where the number of potential indices or identifiers may be exponential, we present the first adaptively secure system with sublinear ciphertexts. We prove security in the standard model.
Employee Training: Using High Tech and Videodisc Technology:

The laser videodisc has been found to improve employee training due to it's unique “interactivity” capabilities. A review of traditional training techniques are compared to using the videodisc for training individuals, citing major organizations presently using this technology as a training tool.
Combining composite endpoints: counterintuitive or a mathematical impossibility?

To the Editor: In their excellent article, DeMets and Califf1 discuss composite endpoints. I would appreciate their further thoughts. When the use of a treatment “X” reduces the composite endpoint of death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and a softer endpoint such as revascularization or hospitalization rates, we are led to the illusion that all 3 endpoints are reduced. Often only the most frequent, ie, the softest endpoint is reduced. Because an increase in mortality would be detected by safety monitoring, isn’t the inclusion of death in composite endpoints when the study is underpowered to show a decrease in mortality simply misleading? Aside from perhaps the calculation of event-free survival that uses time as a metric, is the combination of events of different …
Blood-derived topical therapy for ocular surface diseases

Human serum-derived and plasma-derived therapies have become increasingly popular in the treatment of ocular surface disorders, with mounting clinical and scientific evidence suggesting good safety and efficacy profiles. These therapies may be considered for various ocular surface conditions, such as dry eye syndrome and persistent epithelial defect, when conservative management does not suffice. The costly and inconvenient process of obtaining the blood-derived products is the barrier to their more widespread use. Some blood-derived therapies, such as umbilical cord serum-derived and platelet-derived plasma preparations, may be more viable options since these therapies can be made readily available to patients. In this review, the existing literature on the safety and efficacy of blood-derived products, such as autologous serum tears, in the treatment of ocular surface diseases is discussed. Issues relevant to the production of autologous serum tears are also described.
The webs and the web-nots: access issues in the information age

Abstract The dramatic growth of World Wide Web (WWW) indicates that graphical and multimedia protocols on the Internet are gaining popular, wide-ranging acceptance. Such protocols are becoming the bases of new devices such as network computers (NCs) and information appliances, devices that are likely to widen the reach of the information superhighway. This paper discusses the equipment, software, and infrastructure factors that affect the possibility and quality of users' access to WWW. Based on an understanding of these factors, it is possible to develop categories of access ranging from threshold access to premium access. The paper offers a conceptual framework for understanding the technological aspects of access to the information superhighway and concludes with a discussion of the role of technological developments in affecting access.
Boys Will Be Boys . . .

Cowen writes about his experiences in doing research on the social life of Queen's College and coming across a 1776 letter by a twenty-year old student, Simeon DeWitt (1756-1834), who became Geographer of the Revolutionary Army, Surveyor General of New York, and Chancellor of the University of the State of New York. (There are others articles about him in this journal.) DeWitt writes about a romantic fantasy which Cowen compares to a similar letter by Washington Irving written in 1804. Both letters are reproduced in full.
In vivo assessment of alveolar morphology using a flexible catheter-based confocal microscope

Investigating the structure and function of alveoli in vivo is crucial for understanding the normal and diseased lungs. The authors image the alveoli of mice in vivo using a custom fibre optic catheter-based laser scanning confocal microscope. Images obtained using this system are analysed with an automated software application for alveolar size, wall thickness and number. Results show that direct dynamic visualisation of alveoli and surrounding structures is possible in vivo, with high resolution. Early results indicate high heterogeneity in alveolar structure in vivo, as opposed to an ordered uniform structure. Using the techniques presented here, there is great promise for advancing our knowledge of the functional unit of the lung, the alveolus, for alveolar mechanics, cell traffic and three-dimensional structural visualisation.
Note on semiconductor statistics

Abstract The Guggenheim method for treating semiconductor statistics using the grand partition function is applied to multi-level impurities in Ge assuming a model for electron configuration at the impurity based on the present knowledge of the energy band structure of Ge. The results are expressed in terms of effective one-electron energies corresponding to the one-electron levels associated with the impurities. The difference between these effective one-electron energies and actual one-electron energies is emphasized.
Aggregate Morphology Affecting Strength and Permanent Deformation Behavior of Unbound Aggregate Materials

This paper presents findings of a research study focused on investigating influences of coarse aggregate morphologies on the strength and permanent deformation behavior of unbound aggregate materials. Angularity and surface texture properties of six different types of aggregates were evaluated using two shape indices, angularity index (AI) and surface texture index (ST), based on image analysis. Twenty-one unbound aggregate blends having the same gradation and voids content but different crushed percentages were prepared by mixing the imaging evaluated aggregates and tested using triaxial tests for strength and permanent deformation. The laboratory permanent strain—load application ( ep –N) curves evaluated using a phenomenological power model showed the A and b parameters to be heavily dependent on applied stress levels. Aggregate blends with higher AI and ST indices were consistently associated with lower magnitudes of A and b . The angularity property was found to contribute mainly to the strength and ...
Steeper delay and probability discounting of potentially real versus hypothetical cigarettes (but not money) among smokers

a b s t r a c t There is a strong relationship between drug use and the tendency to discount the value of outcomes as a function of their delay and probability. Most discounting researchers use hypothetical monetary outcomes to establish discounting patterns among human subjects, who tend to discount the value of hypothetical money and real money similarily. However, no research to date has examined whether hypothetical non-monetary outcomes are discounted similarly to real non-monetary outcomes. In this study, smokers were assigned randomly to complete delay and probability discounting tasks for money and cigarettes that were either potentially real (n = 33) or hypothetical (n = 31). Consistent with previous research, smokers discounted the value of hypothetical and potentially real money similarly. However, smokers evidenced steeper rates of discounting for potentially real cigarettes in both delay and probability discounting. These findings suggest domain-specific discounting patterns in which potentially real and hypothetical outcomes may be synonymous in the context of monetary outcomes, but not in the context of non-monetary outcomes.
Abstract 3245: Novel anticancer agents – lead discovery and optimization

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Though cancer chemotherapy helps in successful treating some types of solid tumors, lymphomas, and leukemias, cancer is still responsible for about one in every four deaths in the United States nowadays. Thus, it is urgent to develop novel anticancer agents to overcome the problems of toxicity and resistance of existing cancer chemotherapeutic agents, and eventually to cure cancer. Recently we have found some lead compounds possessing anticancer effects through a novel ultra-high-throughput multiplex screening of OBOC (one-bead-one-compound) small molecule combinatorial library against a M13 phage display cDNA expression proteome library derived from T-lymphoma Jurkat cell. These compounds were able to kill both Jurkat cells and HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells with IC50s ranging from 15 µM to 80 µM. Further biopanning and pull down results showed that some compounds bounded to EIF5B – a eukaryotic translation imitation factor, which might inhibit the cellular translation initiation and result in apoptosis and eventually cause cell death. The lead optimization was carried out by using the method of “methyl walking” and “deletion studies”. A series of novel derivatives have been synthesized and structure-activity relationship will be investigated. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3245. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3245
Post-Polio Syndrome

Abstract The Baby Boomers were essentially the last generation of children in the U.S. to be affected by poliomyelitis, also known as infantile paralysis. Polio has been eradicated from nearly every country in the world since the Salk (1955) and Sabin (1962) vaccines. By the late 1970s, however, polio survivors were noting new problems of fatigue, pain, and additional weakness. Less than a decade later, these new problems were recognized as having a pattern, and post-polio syndrome (PPS) emerged as a diagnosis.1 PPS is a condition that affects polio survivors anywhere from 10 to 40 years after recovery from polio. PPS is characterized by a further weakening of muscles that were previously affected by the polio infection. Symptoms include fatigue, slowly progressive muscle weakness and, at times, muscular shrinkage. Joint pain and increasing skeletal deformities are common. Some patients experience only minor symptoms, while others develop more extensive problems. Although chronic, PPS is rarely life-threa...
A Framework for Verifying Bit-Level Pipelined Machines Based on Automated Deduction and Decision Procedures

We describe an approach to verifying bit-level pipelined machine models using a combination of deductive reasoning and decision procedures. While theorem-proving systems such as ACL2 have been used to verify bit-level designs, they typically require extensive expert user support. Decision procedures such as those implemented in UCLID can be used to automatically and efficiently verify term-level pipelined machine models, but these models use numerous abstractions, implement a subset of the instruction set, and are far from executable. We show that by integrating UCLID with the ACL2 theorem-proving system, we can use ACL2 to reduce the proof that an executable, bit-level machine refines its instruction set architecture to a proof that a term-level abstraction of the bit-level machine refines the instruction set architecture, which is then handled automatically by UCLID. We demonstrate the efficiency of our approach by applying it to verify a complex, seven-stage, bit-level interface pipelined machine model that implements 593 instructions and has features such as branch prediction, exceptions, and predicated instruction execution. Such a proof is not possible using UCLID and would require prohibitively more effort using just ACL2.
Assessment of Severity of Aortic Regurgitation Using the Width of the Vena Contracta: A Clinical Color Doppler Imaging Study

Background—The width of the vena contracta (VC-W), the smallest area of regurgitant flow, reflects the degree of valvular regurgitation and is measurable by color Doppler imaging, but this method has not been validated in aortic regurgitation (AR). Methods and Results—We prospectively examined 79 patients with isolated AR and 80 patients without regurgitation. The VC-W was measured from the long-axis parasternal view and compared with 2 simultaneous reference methods (quantitative Doppler and 2D echocardiography). In patients without regurgitation, the agreement between methods was excellent. In patients with AR, good correlations (all P 0.60). The other methods used showed good correlations of VC-W with ao...
Evidence for two selenium-binding proteins distinct from glutathione peroxidase in mouse liver

Labeling studies with 75selenium (75Se) have suggested the existence of selenium-binding proteins in addition to glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in rodent tissues. Three selenium-binding proteins of apparent mol. wt 56, 14 and 12K on SDS-PAGE were isolated from mouse liver using Sephadex G-150 and DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. The proteins were electroeluted from SDS-PAGE gels and injected into rabbits to elicit antibodies. Western immunoblot experiments indicated that the 56K protein was distinct from the 14 and 12K proteins. The latter two proteins appeared to be immunologically related, perhaps as differentially processed variants. The 56 and 14/12K proteins appeared to be distinct from GSH-Px and the 57K plasma selenium-binding proteins. These results indicate that the mouse liver contains at least two selenium-binding proteins distinct from GSH-Px. The existence of the antibodies should permit experiments which help to examine the role of these proteins in the biological function of selenium in mammals.