cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anodic growth of CdS thin films : an in situ Raman spectroelectrochemical study

There has been much recent interest in the fabrication of Group II-VI compound semiconductor thin films by anodic and cathodic electrodeposition methods [l-9]. These studies have been, in part, motivate by the use of these materials in solar and other optoelectronic device applications. A major problem with electrodeposition, however, is contamination of the target material with “impurity” phases; this is a particular difficulty with compound semiconductors (e.g., Te is usually deposited along with CeTe, cf. ref. 10). Unfortunately, monitoring of electrochemical parameters (e.g. charge, current, potential) alone, during the deposition process, provides only limited info~ation content in terms of molecular details. It is advantageous to combine an in situ spectroscopic probe with electrochemistry in such cases because of the extreme sensitivity and molecular selectivity of the former. We had used this strategy previously via cyclic photovolt~met~ to study electrodeposition mechanisms within the Group II-VI system 171. We now wish to report how Raman spectroscopy could be an especially useful probe for monitoring the chemistry associated with a semiconductor electrodeposition sequence. We have observed routinely via surface analysis, high oxygen levels (up to 13 atom %) in Group II-VI se~#nductor tbin films synthesized by the anodic route (cf. ref. 6). Analysis of Auger peak shapes and XRS binding energies, however, revealed the 0 to be not associated with the chalcogen component within the film. Further, depth profiles revealed this 0 to be uniformly distributed throughout the thin film, thus ruling out surface oxides as the origin. The present Raman spectro-
Applying case-based reasoning to forecasting retail sales

Abstract This article describes the development and testing of a forecasting system for retailers who plan periodic promotions. When the number of variables describing the promotion is large relative to the historical database of past promotions, traditional forecasting approaches cannot be applied. In such cases, retailers must rely on the expertise of their buyers to subjectively estimate promotional unit sales. This research develops a Case-Based Reasoning system that allows all buyers to forecast promotional sales as accurately as the organization's expert buyer and, by making the subjective process explicit, also provides an avenue to improve forecast performance over time. The system (1) selects the historical analogs that are most similar to the planned promotion, (2) adjusts the sales of each analog to account for any differences between the analog and the planned promotion, and (3) combines the forecasts derived from the multiple analogs to arrive at a single sales projection. The performance of the system was tested and found to compare favorably to the performance of an expert buyer in a large national retail organization.
Binding, Electrochemical Activation and Cleavage of DNA by Cobalt(II)tetrakis-N-Methylpyridyl Porphyrin and its β-Pyrrole Brominated Derivative

The binding of nucleic acids by water-soluble cobalt(II) tetrakis-N-methylpyridyl porphyrin, (TMPyP)Co, and its highly electron-deficient derivative cobalt(II) tetrakis-N-methyl pyridyl-beta-octabromoporphyrin, (Br(8)TMPyP)Co, was investigated by UV-visible absorption, circular dichroism (CD), and electrochemical and gel electrophoresis methods. The changes of the absorption spectra during the titration of these complexes with polynucleotides revealed a shift in the absorption maxima and a hypochromicity of the porphyrin Soret bands. The intrinsic binding constants were found to be in the range of 10(5)-10(6) M(-1). These values were higher for the more electron-deficient (Br(8)TMPyP)Co. Induced CD bands were noticed in the Soret region of the complexes due to the interaction of these complexes with different polynucleotides, and an analysis of the CD spectra supported a mainly external mode of binding. Electrochemical studies revealed the cleavage of polynucleotides by (TMPyP)Co and (Br(8)TMPyP)Co in the presence of oxygen preferentially at the A-T base pair region. Gel electrophoresis experiments further supported the cleavage of nucleic acids. The results indicate that the beta-pyrrole brominated porphyrin, (Br(8)TMPyP)Co, binds strongly and cleaves nucleic acids efficiently as compared with (TMPyP)Co. This electrolytic procedure offers a unique tool in biotechnology for cleaving double-stranded DNA with specificity at the A-T regions.
Effects of age and sex on ketamine-induced hyperactivity in rats

Investigators tested the hypothesis that administration of the NMDA antagonist ketamine would result in differential effects on activity levels in rats depending upon the age and the sex of the animal. Twenty-two-, 35-, and 50-day-old rats were given doses of ketamine (0.0 or 10.0 mg/kg) and tested for open-field activity and frequencies of reverse locomotion, rearing, turning, and head weaving. Results indicated that ketamine produced hyperactivity in both males and females at 22 days of age but only in females at 35 days of age. There was no effect of ketamine on locomotor activity in 50-day-old rats, regardless of sex. Effects of ketamine on turning, reverse locomotion, and head weaving were similar with administration, in general, causing increments in these behaviors in both sexes at 22 days and in females at all ages tested. Ketamine resulted in reductions in rearing in both sexes regardless of age.
A Student-Empowered System for Measuring and Weighing Participation in Class Discussion

Although practiced widely in management education, grading of student participation in class discussions has been criticized by researchers: The instructor simultaneously adopts two incompatible tasks of facilitating class discussion and evaluating student participation; students play for points instead of focusing on learning; and common, instructor-based grading schemes do not motivate all students equally. This article proposes a grading system that addresses these three concerns. The proposed system gives students peer feedback within the domain of participation in class discussion enabling instructors to focus on creating learning opportunities in the classroom. The proposed grading system, with interrater reliability exceeding .80, can easily be modified by individual instructors to suit their teaching styles.
Complex larval connectivity patterns among marine invertebrate populations

Based on the belief that marine larvae, which can spend days to months in the planktonic stage, could be transported considerable distances by ocean currents, it has long been assumed that populations of coastal species with a planktonic larval stage are demographically open and highly "connected." Such assumptions about the connectivity of coastal populations govern approaches to managing marine resources and shape our fundamental understanding of population dynamics and evolution, yet are rarely tested directly due to the small size and high mortality of marine larvae in a physically complex environment. Here, we document a successful application of elemental fingerprinting as a tracking tool to determine sources of settled invertebrates and show that coastal mussel larvae, previously thought to be highly dispersed, can be retained within 20-30 km of their natal origin. We compare two closely related and co-occurring species, Mytilus californianus and Mytilus galloprovincialis, and determine that, despite expected similarities, they exhibit substantially different connectivity patterns. Our use of an in situ larval culturing technique overcomes the previous challenge of applying microchemical tracking methods to species with completely planktonic development. The exchange of larvae and resulting connectivities among marine populations have fundamental consequences for the evolution and ecology of species and for the management of coastal resources.
Hemoglobin C Trait Provides Protection From Clinical Falciparum Malaria in Malian Children

Sickle hemoglobin trait protects against severe and uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria [1–3], but at a cost, in that hemoglobin (Hb) SS disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality [4]. In contrast, hemoglobin C trait, which is primarily found in West Africa [5], appears to offer protection against severe malaria [6], but hemoglobin CC disease does not have the degree of morbidity and mortality associated with hemoglobin SS disease [7]. Early work demonstrating the protective effects of hemoglobin C trait against severe malaria involved studies of the predominantly Dogon population in east-central Mali [8]. Subsequently, a case-control study in Burkina Faso found that hemoglobin C trait may be protective against both severe and uncomplicated forms of malaria in children [9]. In contrast, a recent longitudinal study of children less than 2 years of age in Ghana found that hemoglobin S trait protected against uncomplicated malaria and anemia (hemoglobin <7.5 g/dL), while hemoglobin C trait did not protect against either [10]. A study in a non-Dogon population in Mali has indicated that hemoglobin S trait is associated with longer time to first clinical malaria episode and fewer clinical malaria episodes; no such association was found for hemoglobin C trait, which is infrequent in non-Dogon ethnic groups in Mali [11]. The exact mechanism of how hemoglobin C and S confer protection against clinical malaria is unclear, but a leading hypothesis is that both traits alter the display of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP1), a family of parasite proteins expressed on the erythrocyte surface that mediate binding to endothelial receptors. Parasitized erythrocytes from individuals with hemoglobin C and hemoglobin S traits have a reduced ability to attach to host endothelial receptors, potentially limiting the ability of these cells to sequester in host tissues and evade the immune system [12, 13]. We conducted a longitudinal study of malaria incidence in a predominantly Dogon population of Bandiagara, Mali, with 16% prevalence of hemoglobin C trait and 3% prevalence of hemoglobin S trait [8, 14, 15]. We hypothesized that there would be a longer time to first clinical malaria episode in subjects with hemoglobin C or S trait compared to subjects with no hemoglobinopathies (hemoglobin AA). We also hypothesized that subjects with hemoglobin C or S trait would experience both fewer episodes of parasitemia and lower cumulative parasite burden than the control group, but have a higher incidence of anemia, supposing accelerated senescence of HbAC and HbAS erythrocytes compared to HbAA erythrocytes with falciparum infection.
An accurate and efficient performance analysis technique for multiprocessor snooping cache-consistency protocols

A number of dynamic cache consistency protocols have been developed for multiprocessors having a shared bus interconnect between processors and shared memory. The relative performance of these protocols has been studied extensively using simulation and detailed analytical models based on Markov chain techniques. Both of these approaches use relatively detailed models, which capture cache and bus interference rather precisely, but which are highly expensive to evaluate. In this paper, we investigate the use of a more abstract and significantly more efficient analytical model for evaluating the relative performance of cache consistency protocols. The model includes bus interference, cache interference, and main memory interference, but represents the interactions between the caches by steady-state mean collision rates which are computed by iterative solution of the model equations.We show that the speedup estimates obtained from the mean-value model are highly accurate. The results agree with the speedup estimates of the detailed analytical models to within 3%, over all modifications studied and over a wide range of parameter values. This result is surprising, given that the distinctions among the protocols are quite subtle. The validation experiments include sets of reasonable values of the workload parameters, as well as sets of unrealistic values for which one might expect the mean-value equations to break down. The conclusion we can draw is that this modeling technique shows promise for evaluating architectural tradeoffs at a much more detailed level than was previously thought possible. We also discuss the relationship between results of the analytical models and the results of independent evaluations of the protocols using simulation.
Enhancing the sensitivity of dynamic label-free detection of low molecular weight protein

We have characterized the detection limit of Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor (IRIS) with interleukin-6 (IL-6), and enhanced the sensitivity by two orders of magnitude with the following approaches. 1) The desorption rate of the surface antibodies was quantified to correct for any protein loss during the binding experiment. 2) IL-6 specific antibody was introduced to amplify the mass of IL-6 captured to the surface. In addition, we have demonstrated the ability to capture IL-6 that has already interacted with the anti-IL-6, effectively mass-tagging the cytokine, and achieve a comparable detection.
Integrated conditional teleportation and readout circuit based on a photonic crystal single chip

We demonstrate the design of an integrated conditional quantum teleportation circuit and a readout circuit using a two-dimensional photonic crystal single chip. Fabrication and testing of the proposed quantum circuit can be accomplished with current or near future semiconductor process technology and experimental techniques. The readout part of our device can also be used on its own or integrated with other compatible optical circuits to achieve atomic state detection. Further improvement of the device in terms of compactness and robustness could be achieved by integrating it with sources and detectors in the optical regime.
Consequences of Cytoplasmic Irradiation: Studies from Microbeam

The prevailing dogma for radiation biology is that genotoxic effects of ionizing radiation such as mutations and carcinogenesis are attributed mainly to direct damage to the nucleus. However, with the development of microbeam that can target precise positions inside the cells, accumulating evidences have shown that energy deposit by radiation in nuclear DNA is not required to trigger the damage, extra-nuclear or extra-cellular radiation could induce the similar biological effects as well. This review will summarize the biological responses after cytoplasm irradiated by microbeam, and the possible mechanisms involved in cytoplasmic irradiation.
Low-Cost Strategies for Increasing Exercise Behavior Relapse Preparation Training and Social Support

Two low-cost methods (social support and a brief relapse preparation training procedure) for increasing the number of participant-controlled jogging episodes over a five-week period were investigat...
Is the Metabolic Syndrome, With or Without Diabetes, Associated With Progressive Disability in Older Mexican Americans?

Background The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent in the growing U.S. Latino population. We hypothesize that MetS, with or without diabetes, is associated with progressive disability in older Mexican Americans. Methods Data from Mexican Americans 60-98 years old participating in the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA) were analyzed from baseline through 3 years (3 years of follow-up). Disability was assessed by self-reported limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), and mobility/strength tasks. MetS (46% of sample) was defined by National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Diabetes (DM, 33%) was defined by fasting blood sugar>125 mg/dL, physician diagnosis, and/or medication use. Four metabolic groups were defined: MetS with diabetes (MetS+DM+, n=402); MetS without diabetes (MetS+DM-, n=330); diabetes without MetS (MetS-DM+, n=125); and neither (MetS-DM-, n=749). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression models were used to evaluate the effect of metabolic group on physical limitations and disability changes over time. Results Diabetes, with or without MetS, was associated with a higher percent rate of increase over 3 years in ADL and IADL disability than was no diabetes, even after controlling for demographics, body mass index (BMI), and incident disease. The mean ADL score had a 35% higher rate of increase (higher = more impairment) for the MetS+DM+ group and 68% higher for the MetS-DM+ group. Results for IADL were similar. The baseline MetS, without or with diabetes, was associated with a significantly higher rate of increase in mobility/strength limitations (8% and 36.5%, respectively). Conclusions In older Mexican Americans, MetS is associated with progressive limitations in mobility and strength. Preventing progressive mobility/strength limitations may require assessing and treating these impairments in people with MetS regardless of the presence of diabetes. However, preventing the progression of MetS without to MetS with diabetes may be important to limit the progression of ADL and IADL disability found in people with MetS and diabetes.
Femoral Head Bone Mineral Density Patterns May Identify Hips at Risk of Degeneration

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a common abnormality that causes elevated contact stress and early onset osteoarthritis (OA). We hypothesized that adaptation of femoral head bone mineral density (BMD) patterns to focal loading during postnatal development could be used to identify hips at risk of degeneration. Evolving BMD patterns of the femoral head secondary center of ossification (SCO) were quantified and tested for differences with hip subluxation and degeneration. BMD was measured using quantitative computed tomography of hips in a canine model of DDH from 4 weeks to early skeletal maturity at 32 weeks. During body weight and SCO volumetric growth deceleration, SCO mean BMD increased rapidly and local regions of high BMD formed. Greater subluxation was associated with a lower mean BMD up to 14 weeks. At 32 weeks, greater subluxation was associated with a larger area of high BMD that was more laterally located and had a greater maximum BMD. BMD differences were associated with a higher probability of cartilage degeneration. Measurement and visualization of BMD pattern changes due to altered mechanical loading provide a basis for identifying hips at risk of early onset OA and a tool for surgical planning of contact stress reduction procedures.
Neurodynamical model of collective brain

A dynamical system which mimics collective purposeful activities of a set of units of intelligence is introduced and discussed. A global control of the unit activities is replaced by the probabilistic correlations between them. These correlations are learned during a long term period of performing collective tasks, and are stored in the synaptic interconnections. The model is represented by a system of ordinary differential equations with terminal attractors and repellers, and does not contain any man-made digital devices. >
Improving health services for adolescents living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa : a multi-country assessment

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the aging of HIV-positive pediatric cohorts and growing numbers of adolescents on treatment, coupled with high HIV incidence in this age group, means the number of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) will continue to grow. The clinical, psychological, social, and reproductive health needs of ALHIV remain poorly understood and efforts to mobilize and advocate for their treatment, care, and support have been inadequate. A multi-country assessment of the needs of ALHIV in SSA found that comprehensive, adolescent-friendly services that champion peer support and collaboration between health care organizations can foster successful transitions into adulthood for ALHIV.
Causal Attributions for College Success and Failure An Asian-American Comparison

This study compared possible causal attributions for college success and failure in American and Asian students via a sample of 358 undergraduate students who were administered the Multidimensional-Multi-Attribution Causality Scale. American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian subjects reported a pattern of "effort ability-task-luck" forboth success and failure. The "self-serving bias" in attribution was supported only for the factor of ability. Compared with Asian students, American students attributed academic achievement significantly more often to ability than did Asian subjects. American students also appeared to believe effort was more important for success than lack of effort for failure. By contrast, Asian students attributed effort as equally important for both success and failure. Students in the four Asian subgroups also appeared more similar than different in causal attributions.
High-efficiency flat-top beam shaper fabricated by a nonlithographic technique

We report a compact flat-top beam shaper fabricated by laser-assisted chemical etching upon an ion-exchanged high-energy- beam-sensitive glass. The beam shaper combines a phase filter element and a focusing lens element into a single diffractive optical element with a quasi-continuous surface relief profile. The fabrication takes advantage of the laser generation of gray-level patterns and one-step etching that are effective especially for such beam shaper fabrication. The demon- strated beam shaper with good flatness and edge features has an en- ergy efficiency of 82%. © 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(99)02202-3)
Neutron and gamma irradiated optical property changes for the final optics of the National Ignition Facility

Based on studies the authors have performed with several radiation sources such as pulsed nuclear reactors, they have been able to construct a physical picture and measure quantitative parameters necessary to model the radiation-induced losses expected for fused silica and fused quartz National Ignition Facility (NIF) target area. It is important to note that these surrogate radiation sources do not have identical temporal and spectral characteristics to NIF, therefore caution is in order since the results obtained to date must be extrapolated somewhat to predict NIF performance.
The influence of pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids or dissolved solids upon ventilatory and cough frequencies in the bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis

Abstract Conservative no-effect concentration ranges were estimated for ventilatory and coughing responses of bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis exposed to altered pH, or to changes in dissolved oxygen (DO), suspended solids, or dissolved solids concentrations. These limits predict safe, or non-alarm-causing, variations of these non-toxic environmental variables in applied biomonitoring systems using Lake Superior or similarly constituted waters as a dilution source. Bluegill ventilatory and coughing responses were slightly more sensitive than those of brook trout. Bluegills showed increased ventilatory frequency in dissolved oxygen concentrations below 77% air saturation, pH 6·7 and below, and hardness of 190 mg litre−1 (as CaCO3) or higher, but no increase in ventilation in suspended solids concentrations up to 323 NTU of clay particles. Brook trout responded with increased ventilation only in concentrations of DO at 44%, pH of 6·0 and 231 NTU suspended solids. Ventilatory frequency responses at low pH were attributed to increased free CO2 released by acidification of the dilution water. Over the DO range tested (44–117%) coughing was unaffected in both species. Bluegill coughing increased at pH levels above 9·0, but not below the control pH of 8·0. Increases also occurred in some suspended solids concentrations (90 NTU and above) and in hardness of 190 mg litre−1 and above. Brook trout coughing was unaffected over the pH range 5·1–10·1 and at all suspended solids (0·6–318 NTU) concentrations tested. The only coughing response observed for brook trout in different dissolved solids concentrations occurred at 1022 mg litre−1 hardness.
Radiobiology of Ataxia-Telangiectasia

The discovery that ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) patients (Morgan et al., 1968; Gotoff et al., 1967; Cunliffe et al., 1975), as well as cells from these patients (Taylor et al., 1975), are hypersensitive to ionizing radiation (Fig. 1) has sparked an outpouring of research aimed at determining the basis of this radiosensitivity and its relationship to the pathology of the disease. The increased susceptibility of A-T cells to killing by ionizing radiation can largely be correlated with the increased frequency of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations (Bender et al., 1985, 1988; Higurachi and Conen, 1973; Nagasawa et al., 1985; Natarajan and Meyers, 1979; Taylor, 1982; Zampetti-Bosseler and Scott, 1981); however, the molecular basis of this extraordinary radiosensitivity is still not understood. Many chromatid-type aberrations are observed after irradiation of A-T cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle (Bender et al., 1985; Natarajan and Meyers, 1979; Taylor et al., 1976; Taylor, 1978), something almost never seen in normal cells or in cells from patients with other genetic diseases. This suggests that some kind of damage that is always repaired in normal cells before they move into S phase is not repaired in A-T cells. Unfortunately, this is a clue that no one has yet been able to exploit.
An artificial neural network approach for studying phytoplankton succession

Artificial neural networks are used to model phytoplankton succession and gain insight into the relative strengths of bottom-up and top-down forces shaping seasonal patterns in phytoplankton biomass and community composition. Model comparisons indicate that patterns in chlorophyll aconcentrations response instantaneously to patterns in nutrient concentrations (phosphorous (P), nitrite and nitrate (NO2/NO3–N) and ammonium (NH4–H) concentrations) and zooplankton biomass (daphnid cladocera and copepoda biomass); whereas lagged responses in an index of algal community composition are evident. A randomization approach to neural networks is employed to reveal individual and interacting contributions of nutrient concentrations and zooplankton biomass to predictions of phytoplankton biomass and community composition. The results show that patterns in chlorophyll aconcentrations are directly associated with P, NO2/NO3–N and daphnid cladocera biomass, as well as related to interactions between daphnid cladocera biomass, and NO2/NO3–N and P. Similarly, patterns in phytoplankton community composition are associated with NO2/NO3–N and daphnid cladocera biomass; however show contrasting patterns in nutrient– zooplankton and zooplankton–zooplankton interactions. Together, the results provide correlative evidence for the importance of nutrient limitation, zooplankton grazing and nutrient regeneration in shaping phytoplankton community dynamics. This study shows that artificial neural networks can provide a powerful tool for studying phytoplankton succession by aiding in the quantification and interpretation of the individual and interacting contributions of nutrient limitation and zooplankton herbivory on phytoplankton biomass and community composition under natural conditions.
Anesthesia Dolorosa of Trigeminal Nerve, a Rare Complication of Acoustic Neuroma Surgery

Anesthesia dolorosa is an uncommon deafferentation pain that can occur after traumatic or surgical injury to the trigeminal nerve. This creates spontaneous pain signals without nociceptive stimuli. Compression of the trigeminal nerve due to acoustic neuromas or other structures near the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) can cause trigeminal neuralgia, but the occurrence of anesthesia dolorosa subsequent to acoustic tumor removal has not been described in the medical literature. We report two cases of acoustic neuroma surgery presented with anesthesia dolorosa along the trigeminal nerve distribution. The patients' pain was managed with multidisciplinary approaches with moderate success.
A simplified immunoprecipitation method for quantitatively measuring antibody responses in clinical sera samples by using mammalian-produced Renilla luciferase-antigen fusion proteins.

Background: Assays detecting human antigen-specific antibodies are medically useful. However, the usefulness of existing simple immunoassay formats is limited by technical considerations such as sera antibodies to contaminants in insufficiently pure antigen, a problem likely exacerbated when antigen panels are screened to obtain clinically useful data. Results: We developed a novel and simple immunoprecipitation technology for identifying clinical sera containing antigen-specific antibodies and for generating quantitative antibody response profiles. This method is based on fusing protein antigens to an enzyme reporter, Renilla luciferase (Ruc), and expressing these fusions in mammalian cells, where mammalian-specific posttranslational modifications can be added. After mixing crude extracts, sera and protein A/G beads together and incubating, during which the Ruc-antigen fusion become immobilized on the A/G beads, antigen-specific antibody is quantitated by washing the beads and adding coelenterazine substrate and measuring light production. We have characterized this technology with sera from patients having three different types of cancers. We show that 20–85% of these sera contain significant titers of antibodies against at least one of five frequently mutated and/or overexpressed tumor-associated proteins. Five of six colon cancer sera tested gave responses that were statistically significantly greater than the average plus three standard deviations of 10 control sera. The results of competition experiments, preincubating positive sera with unmodified E. coli-produced antigens, varied dramatically. Conclusion: This technology has several advantages over current quantitative immunoassays including its relative simplicity, its avoidance of problems associated with E. coli-produced antigens and its use of antigens that can carry mammalian or disease-specific post-translational modifications. This assay should be generally useful for analyzing sera for antibodies recognizing any protein or its post-translational modifications.
Recurrent diseases in the renal allograft.

Although recurrent diseases in the renal transplant are becoming increasing recognized as graft survival continue to improve, they account for less than 2 to 4% of all allograft failures. The most frequent cause of recurrent disease is recurrent glomerulonephritis. Among the recurrent glomerulonephritides, type II membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis have the highest rates of recurrence. The observation continues to be substantiated that recurrence rates are increased in recipients of living-related transplants, particularly in those whose original native kidney disease was focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, membranous glomerulonephritis, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, or the hemolytic uremic syndrome. Additionally, although renal transplantation has been felt to be contraindicated in patients with Fabry's disease, more recent experience with improved patient survival and decreased morbidity would suggest that transplantation may be a viable alternative for this systemic illness.
A boronium ion with exceptional electrophilicity.

During our studies on aromatic borylation,[1] we considered the combination of a highly electrophilic R2BNTf2 reagent with a base that would neutralize the HNTf2 byproduct of borylation without deactivating the electrophile. In principle, these requirements might be satisfied by 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (1), a hindered and exceptionally basic aniline that finds numerous applications as a basic catalyst or reagent due to its legendary lack of nucleophilicity.[2, 3] Strong electrophiles interact weakly, if at all, with the amine nitrogens, and very few examples are known where stable bonds to nitrogen can be formed between 1 and electrophilic groups larger than hydrogen.[2, 4-7] Among these exceptional cases, cyclic boronium structures 2 and 3 are relatively stable because the subunits BH2 and BF2 have minimal steric requirements.[5] However, the more hindered BMe2 derivative 4 has not been detected and no analogous BR2 structures are known.[5a, 8] In view of this long history, we were somewhat surprised to find that an adduct is readily formed simply upon mixing 1 with the 9-BBN bistriflimide reagent 5a despite the transannular steric demands of the 9-BBN core and the need to form adjacent quaternary bonds to boron as well as nitrogen.[9, 10] The remarkable structural features and unusual reactivity of this adduct are the subject of the following communication.
Surgical Aspects of Pancreatitis

Summary Acute and chronic pancreatitis are each recognized as resulting from various etiologic factors which also serve to complicate the resultant pathologic process so that no one surgical procedure could be expected to correct all the possible alterations. It is indeed fortunate that we have several surgical procedures available that can be used in certain peculiar situations. Early diagnosis and early surgical therapy can frequently obviate the destructive process which we too often see now in the end stage of diffuse calcification.
A Model for Rubber Degradation under Ultrasonic Treatment: Part I. Acoustic Cavitation in Viscoelastic Solid

Abstract The physics of rupture of a rubber network under the action of powerful ultrasound is considered. It is assumed that rubber degradation occurs mainly around pulsating microcavities (bubbles) usually present in rubbers. The maximal level of strain is attained in the vicinity of these cavities. A Lodge-like model of finite viscoelasticity is utilized to describe the strain profile around the vibrating cavity at a given ultrasonic pressure. Network degradation rate is taken to be proportional to the number of overstressed network chains. Detailed analysis is given for the case of a thin layer of cured rubber placed between an ultrasonic horn and a die and subjected to static pressure. Ultrasonic pressure in the layer is shown to depend on the thickness of the layer with its value found to be higher than that in the bulk. The static pressure is found to increase the ultrasonic power consumption and to enhance the degradation process. This is due to a decrease in compressibility of the bubbly media le...
In vivo metabolic activity of hamster suprachiasmatic nuclei: use of anesthesia

In vivo glucose utilization was measured in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of Golden hamsters using the 14C-labeled deoxyglucose technique. A circadian rhythm of SCN metabolic activity could be measured in this species, but only during pentobarbital sodium anesthesia when the surrounding background activity of adjacent hypothalamus was suppressed. Both the SCN's metabolic oscillation and its time-keeping ability are resistant to general anesthesia.
Creatine kinase isoenzymes: electrophoretic and quantitative measurements.

(1981). Creatine Kinase Isoenzymes: Electrophoretic and Quantitative Measurements. CRC Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 187-230.
Molecular events in the activation of human neutrophils for microbial killing

Human neutrophils provide protection from a variety of microbes; neutropenia or neutrophil dysfunction can both have serious clinical consequences. Effective microbial killing involves attachment to blood vessel walls, transmigration into tissues, chemotaxis, and phagocytosis. The molecular mechanisms by which neutrophils kill microbes have been extensively dissected. Each of the cellular processes is initiated in response to the occupancy of unique surface receptors. Receptor occupancy is translated into specific cellular activities via such signals as activation of calcium-mediated protein kinases and phosphorylation of critical proteins. After phagocytosis, the engulfed particle is subjected to killing mechanisms, which include reactive oxygen species, acid pH, and antimicrobial proteins. A thorough understanding of these molecular events may allow the modulation of neutrophil activity.
Streptolysin-O induces release of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored alkaline phosphatase from ROS cells by vesiculation independently of phospholipase action

Streptolysin-O (SLO), a cholesterol-binding agent, was used for studies on the release of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored alkaline phosphatase (AP) from ROS cells. Treatment of cells with SLO resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent release of AP into the extracellular medium. This release was potentiated by Ca2+ and bovine serum, but not by GPI-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) purified from bovine serum. The released AP distributed to the detergent phase after Triton X-114 phase separation. This result suggested that the released AP contained an intact GPI anchor, and thus both proteolysis and anchor degradation by anchor-specific hydrolases, including GPI-PLD, as the potential mechanisms for SLO-mediated AP release were ruled out. The released AP sedimented at 100,000 g. A substantial amount of lipids was detected in the 100,000 g pellet. Cholesterol and sphingomyelin were enriched in SLO-released material, compared with intact cells. These results were consistent with vesiculation as the mechanism for SLO induction of AP release. Two other cholesterol-binding agents, saponin and digitonin, were also able to release AP, possibly by a similar vesiculation mechanism, whereas others, including nystatin, filipin and beta-escin, failed to elicit any AP release. Eight GPI-anchored proteins were identified in ROS cells, and all were substantially enriched in the vesicles released by SLO. Taken together, these results do not provide any support for the hypothesis that the clustering of GPI-anchored proteins in the plasma membrane is responsible for their resistance to GPI-PLD cleavage.
Anemia of chronic kidney disease: Treat it, but not too aggressively

Anemia of renal disease is common and is associated with significant morbidity and death. It is mainly caused by a decrease in erythropoietin production in the kidneys and can be partially corrected with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). However, randomized controlled trials have shown that using ESAs to target normal hemoglobin levels can be harmful, and have called into question any benefits of ESA treatment other than avoidance of transfusions.
Boundary Element Analysis Of Directional Sensitivity Of Bioelectrodes: - A Model Comparison

In this paper the versatility of the Boundary Element method for evaluating electrode models is demonstrated. The models considered are a Direct Green’s Theorem model, an indirect formulation, referred to as the Reciprocity model, and a related model referred to as the Lead Field model.
A note on the Alaska earthquake of July 10, 1958

abstract A second phase arriving about 10 seconds later than the first P wave is seen on many seismograms used by Stauder (1960) in his study of the Alaska earthquake of July 10, 1958. Treating this event as an independent occurrence, it is proposed that this second event was caused by a “jerk” during the course of the propagation of the fault. Agreement with the fault mechanisms proposed by Stauder (1960) and Ben-Menahem and Toksoz (1963) is satisfactory.
Electrically tunable diffraction efficiency from gratings in Al-doped ZnO

Transparent conducting aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) can be used as part of an active plasmonic device due to its electrically tunable permittivity, which is accomplished by changing the carrier concentration with electrical biasing. In this letter, we report a continuous electrical tuning of diffraction efficiency from AZO gratings in the visible range (specifically 532 nm) when the AZO is under bias voltages between −1 V and −3.5 V. The carrier concentration in AZO under negative bias has been measured and simulated. The diffraction efficiency changes have been explained by the carrier concentration variation and induced complex refractive index change at the Al2O3 and AZO interface. The reported results can lead toward the application of post-fabrication tuning of optoelectronic devices using AZO.
Rapid curing and additive manufacturing of thermoset systems using scanning microwave heating of carbon nanotube/epoxy composites

Abstract Here we show that the heating response of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) fillers to applied microwave fields can provide a means to rapidly cure epoxy composites; this is useful for eliminating thermal gradients and decreasing cure times, even in the unconstrained environments common to additive manufacturing. We demonstrate this by comparing 5.0 wt% (2.2 vol.%) MWCNT-loaded epoxy samples cured in different environments: (i) in a conventional oven, (ii) under a forced thermal gradient in order to simulate industrial-scale non-uniformities, and (iii) scanned beneath a microwave waveguide. We assess both cure speed and cure uniformity in conductivity and composition. Microwave-cured samples show ∼1 order of magnitude higher conductivity than oven-cured samples, whereas the forced thermal gradient results in extreme variations in conductivity. This rapid cure allows for thermosets to be used in processing techniques that had previously been very difficult to achieve due to the long cure times necessary for a thermally curable epoxy. The concept of additive manufacturing of thermosets is demonstrated by completing a novel deposition-and-scan technique that results in a patterned structure of cured epoxy. This indicates that the microwave scanning technique is a feasible way to quickly cure multiple layers of unconstrained epoxy in an additive manufacturing context.
Conceptualizing Rational Social Action

Summary review of the major papers from the Rationality seminar by Talcott Parsons , Joseph A. Schumpeter , and Alfred Schutz shows that all three focus on conceptualizing the rational conduct of individuals or aggregates of individuals. The present contribution follows instead a Weberian emphasis on the cultural and institutional foundations that frame the rational action of individuals. A starting point is Weber ’s conception of the spirit of capitalism as a secular economic ethic independent of—differentiated from—the Protestant ethic and its inner-worldly asceticism that historically gave rise to it. Weber cited Benjamin Franklin’s writings as an early exemplar of the spirit of capitalism that preceded and gave rise to the economic institutions of modern capitalism. An examination of Franklin’s career shows that he was a more diverse and successful entrepreneur than Weber knew. Moreover, he also became prominent as philanthropist, scientist, statesman, and diplomat, roles that he could assume only after taking on the status of “gentleman” on the basis of the wealth he had earned. He was also an adherent of ideologies arising from the Enlightenment, perhaps the first in the American colonies. A brief discussion follows of the respects in which the Enlightenment philosophy provided the basis not only for the spirit of capitalism but also for the abstract design, progressive rationalization, and legitimation of a wide range of modern secular institutional complexes. A final section of the essay explores the respects in which the notion of “generalized symbolic media” developed in the later work of Talcott Parsons clarifies how key institutions and related social mechanisms enable citizens of modern societies to rationalize their conduct in various spheres of social life.
Feasibility of sustained response through long-term dosing in food allergy immunotherapy

Clinical trials using oral immunotherapy (OIT) for the treatment of food allergies have shown promising results. We previously demonstrated the feasibility of desensitization for up to 5 food allergens simultaneously through OIT. In this observational study, we report the findings of long-term follow-up (LTFU) of the participants treated through a single site OIT phase 1 trial. The participants (n = 46) were followed up to 72 months since the time they reached 2 g maintenance dose per food in the initial phase 1 trial. During the long-term maintenance dosing, participants continued or reduced the initial maintenance dose of food allergen protein to high (median 2 g protein) vs. low (median 300 mg protein). Participant follow-up included clinical monitoring, standardized OFCs, and in some cases, skin prick tests and measurement of allergen-specific IgE and IgG4. Irrespective of the high vs. low long-term maintenance dose during LTFU, all participants were able to ingest 2 g protein of each food allergen protein during OFCs performed at the end of our LTFU. Our LTFU cohort of food OIT participants from a single site, phase 1 OIT study, supports the feasibility of sustained desensitization through long-term maintenance dosing. Trial registration Registry: Clinicaltrial.gov. Registration numbers: NCT01490177 (original study); NCT03234764 (LTFU study). Date of registration: November 29, 2011 (original study); July 26, 2017 (LTFU study, registered)
Security solutions and design scenarios for software defined data centers

The purpose of introducing Software Defined Networking in the architecture of data centers is to streamline the management of the network devices. Although this reduces the workload of configuring each network device, it gives rise to new problems in terms of security and design of the data center. In this paper, we will go through each ideal design structure for conventional data centers suggested by Cisco and recommend how to introduce an SDN Controller into each of those scenarios.
An edge exclusion test for graphical modeling of multivariate time series

We consider the problem of inferring the conditional independence graph of a stationary multivariate Gaussian time series. A p-variate Gaussian time series graphical model associated with an undirected graph with p vertices is defined as the family of time series that obey the conditional independence restrictions implied by the edge set of the graph. In some existing methods, partial coherence has been used as a test statistic for graphical model selection. To test inclusion/exclusion of a given edge in the graph, the test is applied at distinct frequencies, requiring multiple tests, leading to a loss in test power. The nonparametric methods of Matsuda (2006) and Wolstenholme and Walden (2015) use the Kullback-Leibler divergence measure to define a test statistic which does not need multiple testing to test between two competing models. In this paper, we propose a generalized likelihood ratio based edge exclusion test statistic that also does not need multiple testing. It is computationally significantly faster than the methods of Matsuda and Wolstenholme-Walden, and simulations show that we achieve comparable power levels.
Student aid and its role in encouraging persistence

For more than 3 decades, scholars and practitioners have speculated on the extent to which financial aid increases the odds of students completing their degrees. While the impact of financial aid on persistence has been studied a great deal, we know relatively little about the impact of aid on graduation. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the extant research on how student financial aid affects undergraduate student persistence and graduation. In this pursuit, 74 articles, chapters, and monographs published after 1990 were reviewed to shed light on (a) how the studies define student persistence and student financial aid, (b) the summative knowledge of the relative effects of grants and loans on within-year persistence, continuous enrollment, and graduation, (c) how the existing studies were able to untangle the effects of merit- and need-based aid, and (d) the effect of debt on student persistence.