cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical energy from carbohydrate oxidation during viologen-catalyzed O2-oxidation: Mechanistic insights

Catalytic oxidation of carbohydrates by oxygen using various viologens under mild conditions was recently shown to occur at high efficiency with formate and carbonate formed as products. However, high efficiency was only achieved at viologen/carbohydrate ratios >10. The use of such high catalyst ratios is undesirable and a mechanistic study was initiated to better understand how catalytic efficiency is influenced by catalyst ratio. The results suggest that the dipositive viologen reacts with the enediol form of the carbohydrate, initiating carbohydrate oxidation with subsequent reduction of the viologen to the radical cation form. The latter is then oxidized by air or by current collecting electrodes when the reaction is conducted in a fuel cell. If the viologen/carbohydrate ratio is low, electron transfer from the carbohydrate to the oxidized form of the viologen becomes limiting and the carbohydrate undergoing oxidation rearranges into unreactive intermediates such as carboxylic acids, and alcohols. However, at high ratios, excess viologen more efficiently oxidizes the carbohydrate and minimizes formation of unreactive intermediates. Viologen polymers were more efficient than an equivalent concentration of monomers, suggesting that the higher localized concentration in polymeric viologen acts to efficiently oxidize carbohydrates and simulates high viologen/carbohydrate ratios. The use of viologen films on electrodes or conducting viologen polymers should facilitate use of carbohydrates for electricity production in fuel cells.
The Wind Energy Industry: R&D Funding and International Technological Diffusion

We analyze how technological diffusion from wind turbine manufacturers in Germany and Denmark to the U.S. have been impacted by changes in U.S. federal funding for wind energy research and development (R&D). We find that government energy R&D funding results in greater technological spillovers from Europe to the U.S., but that this impact is dwarfed by the effect on spillovers from real changes in oil prices. Our analysis of how federal funding for wind energy R&D affects the extent to which manufacturers in the U.S. wind power industry learn from inventors and competitors in other countries has relevance to the manufacturers themselves (in terms of their own R&D efforts) and to policy makers (in terms of the optimal level and form of government incentives). Bosetti et al. (Bosetti, V., C. Carraro, E. Massetti, and M. Tavoni, Energy Economics, 2008), for example, investigated the effect of international knowledge flows on the development of innovations that deal with reducing or stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions. They found that including international technological spillovers resulted in lower levels of optimal R&D investments, particularly in high income countries. Meanwhile, Wiser et al. (Wiser, R., M. Bolinger, and G. Barbose, The Electricity Journal, 2007) found that the major piece of national legislation dealing with wind energy incentives in the U.S.—the Federal Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC)—was a significant stimulus to wind power capacity. Our decision to look at technological diffusion in the wind energy industry is based on the extensive R&D investments, the sizeable amount of patenting conducted by manufacturers, and the substantial changes that the industry has undergone in recent decades. We look at technological diffusion from Denmark and Germany because they are home to major wind turbine manufacturers that have been Int Adv Econ Res (2013) 19:77–78 DOI 10.1007/s11294-012-9390-z
Seasonal Variations in Hours of Daylight Associated with Fertility Level of Cattle under Natural Breeding Conditions

Summary In a study of three herds of cattle located at different latitudes in Eastern Canada, the lowest per cent of successful services was obtained during winter and spring and the highest during summer and fall. The differences in fertility level between herds were not significant statistically but those between seasons were significant at the 5 per cent level of probability. The average monthly conception rate of the three herds was significantly correlated with the monthly average length of daylight, there being a lag of approximately 1 to 2 months before the maximum effect was reached. Temperature changes had no measurable direct effect on fertility level under the existing conditions. The authors believe that at high latitudes variations in length of daylight measurably influence the fertility level in cattle.
Sorptive behavior of monolayer-protected gold nanoparticle films: Implications for chemical vapor sensing

Monolayer-protected gold nanoparticle materials were synthesized and characterized for use as sorptive layers on chemical sensors. Thiols investigated as monolayer-forming molecules included dodecanethiol, benzenethiol, 4-chlorobenzenethiol, 4-bromobenzenethiol, 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzenethiol, 4-hydroxybenzenethiol, and 4-aminobenzenethiol. Films of selected monolayer-protected nanoparticle (MPN) materials were deposited on thickness shear mode devices and vapor uptake properties were measured at 298 K. Many, but not all, MPN-based sensing layers demonstrated rapid and reversible uptake of vapors, and sorptive selectivity varies with the monolayer structure. The mass of vapor sorbed per mass of sorptive material was determined and compared with poly(isobutylene) and poly(epichlorohydrin) as examples of simple sorptive polymers that have been used on vapor sensors. The nanoparticle-based films considered here were less sorptive than the selected polymers on a per-mass basis. Partition coefficients, which ...
Schwannoma presenting as lumbar disc disease in an adolescent boy

Lumbar disc disease and spinal cord tumors occur relatively rarely in the pediatric age group. We report on a 16-year-old boy who presented with signs and symptoms of lumbar disc disease that failed to respond to conservative treatment. He was diagnosed preoperatively to have schwannoma of the S-1 root.
Adolescents report their need for and use of health care services

Purpose: The goals of this study were to describe student access to health care services, identify populations of students who remained in need of health care services, and highlight particular unmet needs for health care identified by these adolescents. Methods: Students in Grades 9–12 attending 50 schools in Oregon completed the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS). Questions requesting adolescents to report their need for specific types of health care, and access to general and specific types of care were added to the core YRBS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent relationships between student or community characteristics and health care access or unmet needs for care. Results: Almost 14, 000 adolescents completed surveys, of whom 75% reported visiting one or more health care provider within the last 12 months. Nineteen percent of adolescents reported that they had not received 1 or more of 10 specific types of care when needed in the last year. Females, some racial/ethnic minorities, rural, and sexually active adolescents were more likely to report unmet needs for health care. Most frequently, adolescents reported they needed but did not receive care for an illness (7%) or for personal or emotional problems (6%). In addition, about 400 (3%) students reported they needed birth control that they did not receive. Conclusions: A majority of high school-age adolescents had visited health care providers within the year prior to study. However, the number of adolescents who reported unmet specific health care needs within the same time period remained substantial.
Domination inequality for martingale transforms of a Rademacher sequence

Letf n = Σ =1 v k r k ,n=1,…, be a martingale transform of a Rademacher sequence (r n)and let (r ′ ) be an independent copy of (r n).The main result of this paper states that there exists an absolute constantK such that for allp, 1≤p<∞, the following inequality is true: $$\left\| {\sum {v_k r_k } } \right\|_p \leqslant K\left\| {\sum {v_k r_k^\prime } } \right\|_p $$ In order to prove this result, we obtain some inequalities which may be of independent interest. In particular, we show that for every sequence of scalars (a n)one has $$\left\| {\sum {v_k r_k } } \right\|_p \approx K_{1,2} ((a_n )),\sqrt p $$ where $$K_{1,2} ((a_n ),\sqrt p ) = K_{1,2} ((a_n ),\sqrt p ;\ell _1 ,\ell _2 )$$ is theK-interpolation norm between l1 and l2. We also derive a new exponential inequality for martingale transforms of a Rademacher sequence.
IMMUNOGENICITY AND EFFICACY OF ORAL VACCINES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: LESSONS FROM A LIVE CHOLERA VACCINE

Oral vaccines, whether living or non-living, viral or bacterial, elicit diminished immune responses or have lower efficacy in developing countries than in developed countries. Here I describe studies with a live oral cholera vaccine that include older children no longer deriving immune support from breast milk or maternal antibodies and that identify some of the factors accounting for the lower immunogenicity, as well as suggesting counter-measures that may enhance the effectiveness of oral immunization in developing countries. The fundamental breakthrough is likely to require reversing effects of the 'environmental enteropathy' that is often present in children living in fecally contaminated, impoverished environments.
Modernity's abject space: the rise and fall of Durban's Cato Manor

Recent work on the history of urbanization in South Africa suggests that the development of urban apartheid policy was influenced by the broader discourses of modernization and planning which guided the morphology of urban areas in the industrial West. Less attention, however, has been given to the ways in which these discourses of modernization served to define and control certain forms of subjectivity within the urban order. Accordingly, in this paper I examine the relationship between urban policy and public discourses about race and space in the city of Durban in the 1940s. In the first part of the paper I argue that the development of urban apartheid was marked by a modernist impulse to define and control the subjects and spaces of the city. This control was fostered by new circuits of power designed to produce racialized working subjects and the orderly and efficient management of urban space. Despite these attempts, however, Indian and African residents created informal spaces on the outskirts of the city, spaces which posed a challenge to the political and economic hegemony of the white settler population. In the second part of the paper, I draw upon Julia Kristeva's notion of abjection to argue that one such spacean area known as Cato Manorˆ became a repository of larger fears about the changing nature of identity and alterity within the city. These abject fears burst into public consciousness in 1949, after an Indian^African 'riot' in Cato Manor called into question the efficacy of the city's attempts to manage the social and spatial contours of urbanization. In response, the city set about enacting policies of formal residential segregation, policies which can be read as attempts to manage the troubling presence of racialized 'others' through spatial control.
Crystaline polymers as heat storage materials in passive thermal protection systems

Previous studies have evaluated low molecular weight crystalline materials as latent heat sinks for passive thermal protection systems. This study evaluated crystalline polymers as heat storage materials. Differential scanning calorimetry and Instron thermomechanical analysis are applied in dynamic studies of cumulative histories of melting and recrystallization. Commercially available crystalline polymers with melting temperatures Tm ≥ 100°C can provide fully reversible heats of fusion ΔHm ≥ 35 cal/gm under programmed heating-cooling cycles. A linear polyethylene (Marlex 6050) is modified by radiation crosslinking to retain shape stability above Tm with-out loss of heat storage capability. The essentially zero vapor pressure and inherent shape stability of crosslinked crystalline polymers may provide unique advantages as uncontained, non-expendable, heat storage materials.
SEM and TEM analyses of isolated human retinal microvessel basement membranes in diabetic retinopathy.

Human retinas from persons with diabetic retinopathy and age-matched controls were rendered acellular by sequential detergent treatment. The resulting network of microvascular extracellular matrix (ECM) materials, including basement membranes (BMs), was compared by TEM and, following cryofracture, by SEM. Our study demonstrates that in diabetics, retinal capillary BM complexes are generally thickened and that their ECM subcomponents, including BM leaflets and BM-like pericytic matrix (PCM), are differentially altered. Two diabetic microvessel types were identified. In type A vessels, ECM expansion is manifested by loosely arranged combinations of concentric PCM layers and collagen fibrils with thickened subendothelial (EBM) and pericyte (PBM) BM leaflets. Type B vessels show densely compact central PCM masses and poorly recognizable EBMs and PBMs. In both types, Muller cell BMs (MBMs) are relatively unaffected. High-resolution SEM shows tissue-specific features in normal EBM and MBM surfaces, but disease-related topographic changes are not evident. It is possible that the ECM arrangements identified in our study relate to different microvessel domains and that their specific morphological features may play important roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy including capillary closure and neovascularization.
Cellular neural network architecture for Gibbs random field-based image segmentation

We describe in this paper a novel cellular connectionist neural network model for the implementation of clustering-based Bayesian image segmentation with Gibbs random field spatial constraints. The success of such an algorithm is largely due to the neighborhood constraints modeled by the Gibbs random field. However, the iterative enforcement of the neighborhood constraints involved in the Bayesian estimation would generally need tremendous computational power. Such computational requirement hinders the real-time application of the Bayesian image segmentation algorithms. The cellular connectionist model proposed in this paper aims at implementing the Bayesian image segmentation with real-time processing potentials. With a cellular neural network architecture mapped onto the image spatial domain, the powerful Gibbs spatial constraints are realized through the interactions among neurons connected through their spatial cellular layout. This network model is structurally similar to the conventional cellular network. However, in this new cellular model, the processing elements designed within the connectionist network are functionally more versatile in order to meet the challenging needs of Bayesian image segmentation based on Gibbs random field. We prove that this cellular neural network does converge to the desired steady state with a properly designed update scheme. An example of CT volumetric medical image segmentation is presented to demonstrate the potential of this cellular neural network for a specific image segmentation application.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Frequency and buckling parameters of box-type structures using the Rayleigh-Ritz method and penalty parameters

The Rayleigh-Ritz method (RRM) is often used to solve eigen-problems of simple continuous systems, usually defined by a single element, but it is not easily applied to complex systems. This disadvantage is addressed in this work using the penalty function method (PFM) to define all constraints of the system and to join elements to build box-type structures. Frequency parameters of non-symmetrical structures and buckling parameters of symmetric box-type structures are presented in this work. The use of positive and negative penalty parameters added to either the elastic stiffness matrix or to the mass matrix (matrices associated with the eigenvalue) is also investigated.
Distributed Detection in Mobile Access Wireless Sensor Networks under Byzantine Attacks

This paper explores reliable data fusion in mobile access wireless sensor networks under Byzantine attacks. We consider the q-out-of-m rule, which is popular in distributed detection and can achieve a good tradeoff between the miss detection probability and the false alarm rate. However, a major limitation with it is that the optimal scheme parameters can only be obtained through exhaustive search, making it infeasible for large networks. In this paper, first, by exploiting the linear relationship between the scheme parameters and the network size, we propose simple but effective sub-optimal linear approaches. Second, for better flexibility and scalability, we derive a near-optimal closed-form solution based on the central limit theorem. Third, subjecting to a miss detection constraint, we prove that the false alarm rate of q-out-of-m diminishes exponentially as the network size increases, even if the percentage of malicious nodes remains fixed. Finally, we propose an effective malicious node detection scheme for adaptive data fusion under time-varying attacks; the proposed scheme is analyzed using the entropy-based trust model, and shown to be optimal from the information theory point of view. Simulation examples are provided to illustrate the performance of proposed approaches under both static and dynamic attacks.
Ethnic Matching Between Therapist and Patient in Psychotherapy: An Overview of Findings, Together With Methodological and Conceptual Issues

This article reviews the empirical support for ethnic matching between therapist and patient in psychotherapy. The research has 3 sources: analog studies, archival studies of number of attended sessions and dropout rates, and process– outcome studies of psychotherapy. Clinical trials studying ethnic matching are absent. Empirical support for ethnic matching suffers from low validity and is inconclusive, with few studies of actual psychotherapy. The research is hampered by poor conceptualization of key concepts, difficulties in forming ethnically homogeneous groups for comparisons, and an abundance of uncontrolled within-group variables. Therapist variables, for example cultural sensitivity, are rarely investigated. There is a need for large-scale psychotherapy studies with well-defined key concepts in which the impacts of within-group and therapist variables are investigated.
I2-Hydrosol-Seeded Growth of (I2)n-C-Codoped Meso/Nanoporous TiO2 for Visible Light-Driven Photocatalysis

We report a template-free process to fabricate (I2)n-C-codoped meso/nanoporous TiO2 nanocrystallites. I2 nanoparticles in I2-hydrosol were used as seeds to initial the nucleation of a precursory TiO2 shell formed by the hydrolysis of organotitanium molecules. The hybridized jumbles were further calcinated at different temperatures. The resulting (I2)n-C-codoped meso/nanoporous TiO2 structure was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) isotherm adsorption of N2. UV−visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) showed that (I2)n-C-codoped porous TiO2 samples have a strong absorption between 400−700 nm. The formation mechanism of (I2)n-C-codoped meso/nanoporous TiO2 spheres is discussed. Under visible light radiation, our samples exhibit superior ability in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue to that of the only C-doped TiO2 or to the commercial P25 TiO2 nanoparticles. The origin of the enhanced visible light−light driven photoc...
Clinical pharmacology of diuretic drugs

Abstract Extemely effective diuretic drugs are now available for the treatment of edema. The most commonly employed agents include: (1) thiazide derivatives, (2) organomercurial compounds, (3) aldosterone antagonists, and (4) acidifying drugs. The clinical pharmacology of these drugs is described and an over-all regimen for the treatment of cardiac edema is outlined.
Orange and Red Fluorescent Protein Optical Highlighters

Photoconversion of fluorescent proteins (FPs) is finding increased application for routine optical highlighting in live cell imaging and supper-resolution microscopy. Photoconversion involves light-induced shifts in fluorescence properties, which are dependent on the inherent photophysical properties of the FPs. To date, all described photoconvertable FPs have been red-shifting converters. We have recently discovered that photoconversion properties are quite common among well-characterized orange and red FPs (a screen of 12 fluorescent proteins identified 8 variants exhibiting photoconversion behavior), and that several of these fluorescent proteins display a new phenomenon of blue-shifting photoconversion. A major advantage of red-to-green photoswitches is the absence of spectral bleedthrough of the initial fluorescence into the detector channel for the photoconverted species, which permits quantitative imaging of the photoconverted product as well as imaging of the initial fluorescent species using a single excitation wavelength. In addition to the blue-shifted photswitching FPs, another promising discovery from our screen is two orange FP variants that could be efficiently photoconverted to a bright and photostable far-red fluorescent species. We expect these orange optical highlighters to have significant impact for fluorescent probe development, live cell highlighting, as well as super-resolution microscopy. First, the photoconverted red species is the first fluorescent protein found to have an excitation maximum beyond 600nm. Second, photoconversion is induced using blue light, rather than near UV-light, which can greatly enhance live cell applications. Third, the red-shifted spectral properties of both the initial orange and photoconverted red species reduces the potential interference from cellular autofluorescence, and finally, these FPs are well suited for dual-probe optical highlighting applications together with photoactivatable green FPs, like PA-GFP or Dronpa.
Two photon absorption of extended substituted phenylenevinylene oligomers: A TDDFT study

Time dependent density functional theory has been applied to analyze the effect of substituent groups on one-photon (OPA) and two-photon (TPA) absorption properties of extended amine-terminated phenylenevinylene oligomers. All investigated molecules are characterized by increased TPA activity. Calculated TPA cross-sections for these compounds do not show TPA enhancements observed in experimental measurements. Stabilization of the TPA active excited state in these chromophores leads to the small (∼0.2 eV) energy separation between the OPA and TPA allowed excited states, which agrees well with experimental data and may lead to the enhancement of the TPA response due to the strong vibronic couplings.
Purification of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes As a Function of UV Wavelength, Atmosphere, and Temperature

We investigate the purification of as-prepared single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by exposure to pulsed 193 and 248 nm laser light, as well as lamp wavelengths of 254 and 185 nm. Raman spectroscopy before and after laser exposure indicates the removal of non-nanotube material without modification of the distribution of tube diameter for material exposed to a 248 nm laser, while 193 nm laser light does not selectively oxidize carbon impurities. The mechanism of purification is further considered in the context of atmosphere (oxygen, ozone, nitrogen or partial vacuum) and temperature (measured average and calculated maximum). A mathematical model for pulsed laser heating is used to estimate the maximum temperature achieved during laser excitation. We attribute the purification of nanotube samples to photophysical interactions of the pulsed 248 nm photons in resonance with sp2 carbon.
Prognostic value of ankle-brachial index and dobutamine stress echocardiography for cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality in patients with peripheral arterial disease

Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with an excessive risk for cardiovascular events and mortality. To determine measures prognostic of adverse events, ankle-brachial index (ABI) was compared with dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in patients referred to our vascular center for the evaluation of PAD. Methods The medical records of consecutive patients referred for the concurrent evaluation of PAD and coronary artery disease (CAD) between 1992 and 1995 were reviewed for subsequent cardiovascular events and death. Results Among 395 patients (mean age, 69.7 ± 9.6 years; 40% women), 341 had abnormal ABI and 268 had abnormal DSE (95 fixed and 173 stress-induced wall motion abnormalities). During a mean follow-up of 4.7 years, 27.3% of patients experienced a cardiovascular event, and 39.4% died. By multivariate analysis, ABI provided the strongest prediction of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36 to 4.05; P = .002). Conversely, DSE with inducible or fixed wall motion abnormalities showed no association with cardiovascular events or increased mortality in multivariate analysis. The only DSE variable independently predictive of mortality was decreased left ventricular ejection fraction ( P = .002). Statin and aspirin therapy, but not β-blockers, were protective. There was no relation between ABI and wall motion index score at rest or after stress. Conclusions In high-risk patients referred to our vascular center for the evaluation of PAD, the assessment of ABI provided a strong independent prediction of all-cause mortality. Therefore, proper interpretation of this simple, affordable, and reproducible measure extends beyond the assessment of PAD severity. Although a poor left ventricular response to dobutamine was also predictive, other echo variables were not.
Technique of outpatient placement of intraprostatic fiducial markers before external beam radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES To describe our technique and preliminary toxicity profile for ultrasound-guided outpatient placement of intraprostatic fiducial markers before intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer. METHODS A total of 98 men with prostate cancer who underwent IMRT from August 2003 through September 2006 were included in the present study. All subjects underwent ultrasound-guided transrectal placement of 3 gold intraprostatic fiducial markers under local anesthesia using our standard technique. Daily on-line image guidance adjustments were made according to the location of the fiducial markers. The charts were reviewed to evaluate the acute toxicity profile of IMRT with fiducial markers during the treatment course using the Common Toxicity Criteria, version 3.0. The International Prostate Symptom Score, clinical stage, and Gleason score were tabulated. RESULTS Fiducial marker placement proceeded without complications. The median radiation dose administered was 75.6 Gy (range 50-79.2). Grade 1 or 2 enteritis was observed in 30 of 98 patients (31%), with no cases of rectal bleeding. Grade 1 or 2 perineal dermatitis occurred in 9 patients (9.2%). Genitourinary toxicity manifested in 75 patients (77%) as grade 1 or 2 cystitis. Four patients (4%) developed urinary retention, requiring catheterization. One patient (1%) had an episode of gross hematuria. No grade 3 toxicities were observed. No significant change in the International Prostate Symptom Score at 3 months in patients with available follow-up was found (P = .34). CONCLUSIONS The placement of intraprostatic fiducial markers before prostate IMRT is a safe and efficacious method for prostate localization that produces an excellent toxicity profile.
How I do it: minimally invasive Cox-Maze IV procedure

Our patient is a 66-year-old female with a 2-year history of atrial fibrillation (AF) and mitral valve prolapse who presented with dyspnea on exertion. She was found to be in AF upon her admission electrocardiogram. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed demonstrating moderateto-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) with a left atrial (LA) diameter of 5.1 cm and normal left ventricular (LV) function. After completion of her workup, it was decided that the patient would best be treated by a minimally invasive Cox-Maze IV (CMIV) and concomitant mitral valve procedure given her significant MR and symptoms. This article and accompanying video will discuss how the minimally invasive CMIV procedure is performed. Surgical techniques Preparation In order to perform a mini-thoracotomy mitral valve maze procedure, the patient is positioned with the right chest elevated 45° and the hips flat. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is performed to assess the MR, and examine for a patent foramen ovale or clot in the LA appendage. The aortic valve is also evaluated since significant aortic insufficiency is a contraindication to this approach. The patient is prepped and draped in the usual fashion.
Auditory Prosthesis with a Penetrating Nerve Array

Contemporary auditory prostheses (“cochlear implants”) employ arrays of stimulating electrodes implanted in the scala tympani of the cochlea. Such arrays have been implanted in some 100,000 profoundly or severely deaf people worldwide and arguably are the most successful of present-day neural prostheses. Nevertheless, most implant users show poor understanding of speech in noisy backgrounds, poor pitch recognition, and poor spatial hearing, even when using bilateral implants. Many of these limitations can be attributed to the remote location of stimulating electrodes relative to excitable cochlear neural elements. That is, a scala tympani electrode array lies within a bony compartment filled with electrically conductive fluid. Moreover, scala tympani arrays typically do not extend to the apical turn of the cochlea in which low frequencies are represented. In the present study, we have tested in an animal model an alternative to the conventional cochlear implant: a multielectrode array implanted directly into the auditory nerve. We monitored the specificity of stimulation of the auditory pathway by recording extracellular unit activity at 32 sites along the tonotopic axis of the inferior colliculus. The results demonstrate the activation of specific auditory nerve populations throughout essentially the entire frequency range that is represented by characteristic frequencies in the inferior colliculus. Compared to conventional scala tympani stimulation, thresholds for neural excitation are as much as 50-fold lower and interference between electrodes stimulated simultaneously is markedly reduced. The results suggest that if an intraneural stimulating array were incorporated into an auditory prosthesis system for humans, it could offer substantial improvement in hearing replacement compared to contemporary cochlear implants.
Mechanical characterization and impact damage assessment of a woven carbon fiber reinforced carbon nanotube-epoxy composite

A. Carbon fibers A. Carbon nanotubes B. Impact behavior C. Damage mechanics D. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) abstract Carbon nanotubes carry the promise of enhancing the poor out-of-plane mechanical performance of fiber reinforced polymer composites (FRPs). The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of adding multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to the epoxy matrix of a carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRP) on the composites' damping performance, impact resistance and impact damage progression. Two sets of CFRPs with their matrices comprising MWCNTs-epoxy and neat epoxy, respectively, were fabricated and mechanically tested under tensile, Quasi-static punch test, vibration and intermediate velocity impact (IVI) environments. While the tensile failure strain of the carbon fiber reinforced epoxy-MWCNT composite increased, its tensile modulus and strength remained almost unaffected. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was employed to measure the damping performance of the two composite systems. The composite samples containing MWCNTs retained higher damping indicating their greater capability to attenuate impact shocks generated during an impact phenomenon. The sam- ples were subjected to out-of-plane impact (at 100 ms 1 ) from which the energy dissipation capacity of the composites was evaluated. Incorporating MWCNTs into the CFRP increased the absorbed impact energy by 21%. The punch test provided valuable information on the damage mechanics of the ballistic impact of the composite panels. It also contrasted the effect of high-stain-rate on the impact test. The consequences of adding MWCNTs to the matrix of CFRPs on the impact progressive damage and energy absorption were discussed in terms of the damage mechanisms and the dynamic damping behavior of the composites. To better comprehend the effect of adding CNTs on the impact damage mechanisms, X-ray radiography was carried out on the impacted panels. It was shown that the addition of MWCNTs to the matrix of a CFRP improves its inter- and intra-laminar mechanical performance yielding a better impact resistance. It was confirmed that the impact failure behavior of the studied composite systems could be predicted from the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical tests.
Continuing an Alternative View of Public Administration Mary van Kleeck and Industrial Citizenship, 1918-1927

This article argues that from 1918 through 1927 prominent social scientist and reformer Mary van Kleeck (1883-1972) pursued an alternative theory of public administration enunciated by women reformers in the early 1900s. van Kleeck continued to support the theory through her idea of industrial citizenship, through which labor and capital would work as equals. Two new forums for her idea—the International Taylor Society and Herbert Hoover’s Special Committee on Business Cycles—did not prove satisfactory, so van Kleeck helped promote the successful passage of a 48-hr bill for working women in New York by 1927 through social justice feminism.
Understanding Interpersonal Trauma in Children: Why We Need a Developmentally Appropriate Trauma Diagnosis

Childhood exposure to victimization is prevalent and has been shown to contribute to significant immediate and long-term psychological distress and functional impairment. Children exposed to interpersonal victimization often meet criteria for psychiatric disorders other than posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, this article summarizes research that suggests directions for broadening current diagnostic conceptualizations for victimized children, focusing on findings regarding victimization, the prevalence of a variety of psychiatric symptoms related to affect and behavior dysregulation, disturbances of consciousness and cognition, alterations in attribution and schema, and interpersonal impairment. A wide range of symptoms is common in victimized children. As a result, in the current psychiatric nosology, multiple comorbid diagnoses are necessary—but not necessarily accurate—to describe many victimized children, potentially leading to both undertreatment and overtreatment. Related findings regarding biological correlates of childhood victimization and the treatment outcome literature are also reviewed. Recommendations for future research aimed at enhancing diagnosis and treatment of victimized children are provided.
Delineating fluid-filled region boundaries in optical coherence tomography images of the retina

We evaluate the ability of a deformable model to yield accurate shape descriptions of fluid-filled regions associated with age-related macular degeneration. Calculation of retinal thickness and volume by the current optical coherence tomography (OCT) system includes fluid-filled regions or lesions along with actual retinal tissue. In order to quantify these lesions independently from the retinal tissue, they must be outlined. A deformable model was applied to OCT images of retinas demonstrating cystoids and subretinal fluid spaces. Several implementation issues were addressed in order to choose appropriate parameters. The use of a nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filter to suppress speckle noise while at the same time preserving the edges of the original image was explored. Once the contours of the lesions were outlined, quantitative analysis of the surface area and volume of the lesions was performed. The deformable model could accurately outline fluid-filled regions within the retina. The detection method tested proved effective in capturing the complexity of fluid-filled regions in OCT images. Deformable models combined with nonlinear anisotropic diffusion filtering show promise in the detection of retinal features of interest for diagnosis in clinical OCT images. Thus, fluid-filled region detection may significantly aid in analysis of treatments and diagnosis.
Potential Field Navigation of High Speed Unmanned Ground Vehicles on Uneven Terrain

This paper proposes a potential field-based method for high speed navigation of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) on uneven terrain. A potential field is generated in the two-dimensional “trajectory space” of the UGV path curvature and longitudinal velocity. Dynamic constraints, terrain conditions, and navigation conditions can be expressed in this space. A maneuver is chosen within a set of performance bounds, based on the potential field gradient. In contrast to traditional potential field methods, the proposed method is subject to local maximum problems, rather than local minimum. It is shown that a simple randomization technique can be employed to address this problem. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method can successfully navigate a UGV between pre-defined waypoints at high speed, while avoiding unknown hazards. Further, vehicle velocity and curvature are controlled to avoid rollover and excessive side slip. The method is computationally efficient, and thus suitable for on-board real-time implementation.
Lossless Compression-Based Steganalysis of LSB Embedded Images

A new method of steganalysis for images with embedded messages is presented. We consider two embedding methods: least significant bit (LSB) replacement and plusmn1 LSB embedding. Our method uses lossless image compression to generate statistics that are fed into a support vector machine classifier. We compare results against the pairs method, one of the best existing LSB steganalysis methods. Both our method and pairs performs well for LSB replacement. However, while pairs cannot detect plusmn1 LSB embedding at all, our method can.
Detection and quantitation of HPV in genital and oral tissues and fluids by real time PCR

Background: Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) remain a serious world health problem due to their association with anogenital/oral cancers and warts. While over 100 HPV types have been identified, a subset is associated with malignancy. HPV16 and 18 are the most prevalent oncogenic types, while HPV6 and 11 are most commonly responsible for anogenital warts. While other quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays detect oncogenic HPV, there is no single tube assay distinguishing the most frequent oncogenic types and the most common types found in warts. Results: A Sybr Green-based qPCR assay was developed utilizing degenerate primers to the highly conserved HPV E1 theoretically detecting any HPV type. A single tube multiplex qPCR assay was also developed using type-specific primer pairs and TaqMan probes that allowed for detection and quantitation of HPV6,11,16,18. Each HPV type was detected over a range from 2 × 10 1 to 2 × 10 6 copies/reaction providing a reliable method of quantitating typespecific HPV in 140 anogenital/cutaneous/oral benign and malignant specimens. 35 oncogenic and low risk alpha genus HPV types were detected. Concordance was detected in previously typed specimens. Comparisons to the gold standard detected an overall sensitivity of 89% (95% CI: 77% - 96%) and specificity of 90% (95%CI: 52% - 98%). Conclusion: There was good agreement between the ability of the qPCR assays described here to identify HPV types in malignancies previously typed using standard methods. These novel qPCR assays will allow rapid detection and quantitation of HPVs to assess their role in viral pathogenesis.
Hypothesis for induction and propagation of chemical sensitivity based on biopsy studies.

The reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), the reactive upper airways dysfunction syndrome (RUDS), the sick building syndrome (SBS), and the multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCS) are overlapping disorders in which there is an intolerance to environmental chemicals. The onset of these illnesses is often associated with an initial acute chemical exposure. To understand the pathophysiology of these conditions, a study of the nasal pathology of individuals experiencing these syndromes was undertaken. Preliminary data indicate that the nasal pathology of these disorders is characterized by defects in tight junctions between cells, desquamation of the respiratory epithelium, glandular hyperplasia, lymphocytic infiltrates, and peripheral nerve fiber proliferation. These findings suggest a model for a relationship between the chronic inflammation seen in these conditions and an individual's sensitivity to chemicals. A positive feedback loop is set up: the inflammatory response to low levels of chemical irritants is enhanced due to the observed changes in the epithelium, and the epithelial changes are propagated by the inflammatory response to the chemicals. This model, combined with the concept of neurogenic switching, has the potential to explain many aspects of RADS, RUDS, SBS, and MCS in a unified way. Originally published Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 2):473-478 (1997)
Bread has Salt: Options for Very Low-Sodium Bread

BREAD HAS SODIUM, lots of it. That was the news in February of this year when the Centers for Disease Control announced that bread was on the top of the list of salt-containing foods in this country. The intent of the press release was to help individuals achieve a lower sodium intake, specifically 2400 mg for the broader population or 1500 mg for persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, or high blood pressure; those age 51 or older; or those who are African American according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines. In this Journal, Daugirdas proposes that bread and breakfast cereal contribute significantly to the sodium tally in the type of diet a personwith CKDmight follow, one that is absent of obviously salty foods. In addition, Sheridan provides data that show that Americans eat primarily carbohydrates; carbohydrates compose 65% of the average American diet, and yeast breads account for 25% of those carbohydrate calories. As Daugirdas suggests, patients with CKD may get more sodium from bread than they or the professional staff caring for them may realize. If bread is a salt culprit, then low-sodium alternatives need to be found. The National Sodium Reduction Initiative (NSRI) in New York City is a voluntary initiative to lower sodium in processed foods and restau-
Tips for teaching in longitudinal clerkships

Summary Background: Longitudinal clinics (LCs) are increasingly common learning settings for North American medical students. However, the structure of an LC is distinct from a traditional block rotation, and requires different teaching strategies to maximise opportunities for learning. Context: The length of the relationship between student and teacher in an LC allows the teacher to focus on the basics of orientation early in the year, and to gradually entrust the student with more responsibility. The trajectory of learning can be anticipated by a teacher and used to guide the student’s development over time. Innovation and implications: We gathered feedback from students and teachers who participated in a year-long LC, and offer four tips for effective workplace learning. By using these tips, teachers can ease the transition into a complex work environment and maximise learning from clinical encounters.
Imaging mass spectrometry : fundamentals and applications to drug discovery

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) encompasses a variety of techniques that enable the chemical imaging of analytes, which range in size from atoms and small molecules to intact proteins, directly from biological tissues. IMS is transforming specific areas in biological research with its unique combination of chemical and spatial information. Innovations in instrumentation and imaging protocols will make this approach invaluable at many stages of the drug discovery process, including pharmacological target screening and evaluating the distribution of drug and drug metabolites in cells and tissues. The fundamentals and unique methodology of IMS are discussed, along with exciting new applications to drug discovery science.
Cluster randomized trial comparing standard versus enhanced implementation strategies for improving outreach to persons with SMI: 12-month results

Methods Initially, Re-Engage was implemented at 158 VA facilities by mental health providers who received the standard REP strategy to support uptake (implementation manual, training, and technical assistance). Re-Engage involved giving providers a list of patients with serious mental illness who had not been seen at their facility for at least a year, requesting that providers contact these patients, assess their clinical status, and where appropriate, expedite VA healthcare appointments. At month 6, facilities considered non-responsive(N = 88, total of 3,200 patients), defined as <80% of patients on providers’ lists with updated assessment of clinical status, were randomized to receive either Enhanced REP (REP+Facilitation; N = 39 practices) for 6 months followed by standard REP for 6 months; or continued standard REP (N = 49 practices) for 6 months followed by 6 months of Enhanced REP for facilities still not responding. Enhanced REP consisted of monthly phonebased coaching by national experts in Re-Engage on overcoming adoption barriers. Quantitative outcomes included attempted contacts and subsequent receipt of outpatient care.
Clay Nanolayer Reinforcement of a Glassy Epoxy Polymer

Glassy epoxy-clay nanocomposites (Tg ≈ 82 °C) have been prepared by the reaction of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and a polyoxyalkylene amine curing agent in the presence of organo cation exchanged smectite (montmorillonite) clays. Commercially available AMS and CWC montmorillonites purified on the industrial scale (Nanocor, Inc.) afforded nanocomposites with performance properties comparable to those obtained from montmorillonite purified by laboratory methods. We provide the first evidence for clay nanolayer reinforcement of a glassy epoxy matrix under compressive strain. Compression stress - strain experiments revealed substantial improvements in the modulus and yield strength when the clay nanolayers were exfoliated in the glassy matrix. However, no improvement in the modulus or yield strength was observed when the clay component was merely intercalated by the epoxy matrix, signifying that nanolayer exfoliation is an essential feature of reinforcement. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of epoxy-clay nanocomposites prepared with the C18H37NH3 + - exchanged forms of the AMS and CWC clays have been tested by dynamic mechanical analysis and thermal mechanical analysis. The nanocomposites exhibit improved dynamic storage modulus above and below the glass transition temperature, as well as lower coefficients of thermal expansivity compared to the pure polymer. In addition, the solvent resistant properties of the nanocomposites are substantially improved compared to the pristine polymer.