cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trigonometric Functions of a Number

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses trigonometric functions of a number. Any trigonometric function of θ , where θ is in radian measure, may be interpreted as a trigonometric function of a real number entirely apart from any angle connotation. For each arc there is a unique ordered pair of numbers ( x , y ), the coordinates of the end-point of the arc. This chapter also reviews tables of trigonometric functions of numbers. Any table of trigonometric functions of angles in radian measure is also a table of trigonometric functions of real numbers. This table is constructed for functions of numbers from 0 to 1.999. For larger numbers, the methods of reduction of section 3.4 adapted to functions of numbers must be used.
Nondestructive assessment of microwave absorbing structures via active microwave thermography

Radio-frequency absorbing materials (RAM) are widely used to reduce electromagnetic interference and scattering from reflective (e.g. conductive) surfaces such as those utilized in aerospace and military applications. Thus, it is important to nondestructively assess such structures for their structural health (i.e., defect detection). To this end, active microwave thermography (AMT) is considered as a viable solution. AMT utilizes a microwave-based thermal excitation for structures/materials under inspection. The resulting surface thermal profile is measured with a thermal camera. As it relates to structures with a microwave-absorbing surface, the surface (when illuminated by microwave radiation) absorbs this energy and thus acts as a thermographic heat source. In order to show the practical applicability of AMT for inspections of the aforementioned structures, two carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) samples (containing defects), with and without RAM, are inspected. The results show that the detection capability is significantly improved when the samples contain RAM on their surface, thereby illustrating the efficacy of AMT for inspection of such structures.
Chapter 8 Demand for children in low income countries

Publisher Summary This chapter outlines the economic models for understanding the empirical regularities in fertility in low-income countries. Applications of microeconomics to understand the demand for children emphasize several special aspects of children. Their cost to parents is affected by the opportunity cost of the time of mothers, who in most societies contribute a disproportionate share of their time to child rearing. Demand models predict and empirical studies confirm that increase in women's wages and education have a more negative impact on fertility than do increase in men's wages and education, or, for that matter, than does nonhuman capital income, which is indeed often associated with increased fertility in low-income agricultural settings. The changing composition of income between labor and nonhuman capital and between male and female productivity are as important for the decline in fertility as the overall level of national income. An increasing number of studies that suggest programs increasing the schooling of women, improving child health and nutrition, and diffusing family planning methods have contributed to the declines in child mortality, fertility, and population growth rates in low-income developing countries.
A Case Report of Anticoagulation Management in Acquired Hemophilia Associated With Levofloxacin

Purpose:To report a case of acquired hemophilia secondary to levofloxacin and provide a guide for the use of anticoagulation in acute coronary syndrome.Case Summary:A 75-year-old female treated with levofloxacin presented with spontaneous bruising of the upper extremities. Levofloxacin was discontinued and the symptoms resolved. Thereafter, the spontaneous bruising recurred and progressed over a few weeks. The patient was treated with recombinant factor VIIA with a time to recuperation of 3 months. The patient was subsequently found to have ST-segment elevation for which they received unfractionated heparin, ticagrelor, and aspirin prior to bare metal stent placement.Conclusion:Hemophilia A is a rare disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Case studies previously evaluating the association of levofloxacin with acquired hemophilia have shown causality. Initiating anticoagulation in patients with acquired hemophilia has long been a challenge to clinicians as evidence-based guidelines are lacki...
Reverse-polarity direct current plasma-driven electro-reduction of refractory metals in molten oxide melts

This work is concerned with the extraction of refractory metals using an electro-reduction process in which a molten oxide melt, instead of halide, is used as the electrolyte. The process may provide an alternative method for producing refractory metals from their ores through the use of a reverse-polarity direct current (DC) plasma arc heating process. In such a process, the plasma torch itself acts as an anode, and the resulting liquid or solid product metals work as a cathode, whereas the molten oxide melt plays the role of an electron transfer layer. The focus of this study is the electro-reduction of scheelite, vanadium pentoxide and chromite. For vanadium pentoxide, the proposed melt is mainly composed of CaO-V2O5/Li2O-B2O3-V2O5 orFeO-CaO-SiO2-V2O5-Li2O with the addition of other alkali and alkaline metal oxides. In the case of scheelite ore, the SiO2-CaO-Li2O-WO3 system is used as melt and metal aluminum or nickel could be used as a collecting media. As for the reduction of chromite ore, SiO2-CaO-Cr2O3-Li2O system with a small amount of CaF2 is used as the melt. As a demonstration, chromium was successfully produced on a laboratory scale through the plasma-driven electro-reduction process. One of the studied slags had a composition of 13.8% CaO, 4.9% CaF2, 36.4% Cr2O3, 6.9% Li2O and 38.0% SiO2. Two observations are significant in this laboratory-scale study. The first was that the amount of Cr2O3 and FeO, which were predominantly electronic conductors in the oxide melt, greatly affected the conducting mechanism of the melt. With high concentrations of Cr2O3 and FeO in the melt, the current efficiency was fairly low. In this case, chromium was found to be slightly reduced due to electronic conducting mechanism. For example, with an initial slag of 60% Cr2O3, no chromium was found reduced. With low concentrations of Cr2O3 and FeO in the studied melt, typically no more than 30% Cr2O3, it was observed that chromium was readily reduced due to the dominant ionic conducting mechanism. The second observation was that the addition of SiO2 to the melt helped to make the oxide melt more ionic, which was apparently desirable to the molten oxide electrolysis. However, a high content of silica had a negative effect on the fluidity of the melt. This was resolved by adding trace amounts of CaF2 to the melt. Therefore, by judicious selection of oxide melt, refractory metal oxides might be dissolved into it, and yet the melt itself retains the required ionicity. A reverse-polarity DC-plasma-driven molten oxide electrolysis may prove to be a viable alternative route for the extractive metallurgy of refractory metals.
Bloodstream Infection due to Piperacillin/Tazobactam Non-Susceptible, Cephalosporin-Susceptible Escherichia coli: A Missed Opportunity for De-Escalation of Therapy

An increasing number of reports describing Escherichia coli isolates with piperacillin/tazobactam resistance, despite retained cephalosporin susceptibility, suggest further emergence of this phenotypic resistance pattern. In this report, a patient with metastatic breast cancer presented to medical care after two days of chills, nausea, vomiting, reduced oral intake, and generalized weakness. Blood and urine cultures grew E. coli as identified by rapid diagnostics multiplex PCR and MALDI-TOF, respectively. The patient continued to manifest signs of sepsis with hypotension and tachypnea during the first three days of hospitalization despite empirical antimicrobial therapy with intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam. After in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated a piperacillin/tazobactam minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 64 and a ceftriaxone MIC of ≤1 mcg/mL, antimicrobial therapy was switched from intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam to ceftriaxone. All symptoms and signs of infection resolved within 48 h of starting ceftriaxone therapy. This report describes the clinical failure of piperacillin/tazobactam in the treatment of a bloodstream infection due to E. coli harboring a phenotypic resistance pattern of isolated piperacillin/tazobactam non-susceptibility. The case demonstrates the role of cephalosporins as potential treatment options and highlights the value of early de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy based on rapid diagnostic testing for microbial identification.
Characteristics of Hepatitis C+ vs Hepatitis C- Donors

Purpose With the advent of direct acting antiviral therapies (DAAs) for Hepatitis C (HCV), the use of HCV donors in adult heart transplantation is increasing. We sought to characterize HCV+ vs. HCV- donors to assess whether significant differences in donor quality and rates of organ acceptance and transplantation exist. Methods Between January 1, 2018 and August 15, 2018 we evaluated 427 heart transplant donors offered to the adult heart transplant program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. We compared age, sex, BMI, cause of donor death, and rates of organ acceptance transplantation. We examined any heart donor during this time frame that was HCV antibody and/or HCV NAT positive. Results The Table demonstrates the characteristics of all 427 donors comparing HCV + vs HCV- donors. HCV+ donor hearts come predominantly from male donors among whom the overwhelming cause of death is drug overdose. These hearts have a higher likelihood of being accepted for transplant and being transplanted, relative to hearts from HCV- donors. Conclusion In the era of DAAs, utilization of HCV+ hearts is a viable strategy to help expand the donor pool.
Thermal rates for baryon and anti-baryon production

We use a form of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem to derive formulae giving the rate of production of spin-1/2 baryons in terms of the fluctuations of either meson or quark fields. When evaluated in a thermal ensemble we find 1/e equilibration times on the order of 10 fm c−1 near the critical temperature in QCD.
Ice shelf rift propagation: stability, three-dimensional effects, and the role of marginal weakening

Abstract. Understanding the processes that govern ice shelf extent is important to improving estimates of future sea-level rise. In present-day Antarctica, ice shelf extent is most commonly determined by the propagation of through-cutting fractures called ice shelf rifts. Here, I present the first three-dimensional analysis of ice shelf rift propagation. I model rifts using the assumptions of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). The model predicts that rifts may be stabilized (i.e., stop propagating) when buoyant flexure results in the partial contact of rift walls. This stabilizing tendency may be overcome, however, by processes that act in the ice shelf margins. In particular, loss of marginal strength, modeled as a transition from zero tangential displacement to zero tangential shear stress, is shown to favor rift propagation. Rift propagation may also be triggered if a rift is carried with the ice flow (i.e., advected) out of an embayment and into a floating ice tongue. I show that rift stability is closely related to the transition from uniaxial to biaxial extension known as the compressive arch. Although the partial contact of rift walls is fundamentally a three-dimensional process, I demonstrate that it may be parameterized within more numerically efficient two-dimensional calculations. This study constitutes a step towards a first-principle description of iceberg calving due to ice shelf rift propagation.
Epilepsy and Physical Activity in US Adults.

OBJECTIVES To examine the prevalence of self-reported aerobic leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) participation using a representative sample of US adults (18 years old and older) with a seizure disorder or epilepsy. METHODS Data from the 2010, 2013, and 2015 National Health Interview Survey cycles were used to examine the prevalence and odds of meeting the 2018 PA guidelines with a nationally representative sample of US adults. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression were used in calculating estimates. RESULTS Overall, the prevalence of adults with a seizure disorder or epilepsy reporting no (0 min), insufficient ( 300 min [meets recommendations]) were 45.1%, 20.0%, 10.8%, and 24.1% (P < 0.001), respectively, and had a 43% (odds ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.66) lower odds of meeting the 2018 federal guidelines for aerobic LTPA. In addition, 17.7% of adults with a seizure disorder reported meeting the MSA recommendation and were 32% (odds ratio 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.57-0.80) less likely to preform MSA ≥2 days/week (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Adults reporting a seizure disorder or epilepsy also indicate their ability to participate in both LTPA and MSA; however, this population was found to have a significantly lower odds of meeting current federal aerobic LTPA and MSA recommendations.
Variation in hospital admission from the emergency department for children with cancer: A Pediatric Health Information System study

Background Children with cancer experience a wide range of conditions that require urgent evaluation in the emergency department (ED), yet variation in admission rates is poorly documented. Procedure We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System of ED encounters by children with cancer between July 2012 and June 2015. We compared demographics for admitted versus discharged using univariate statistics, and calculated admission rates by hospital, diagnosis, day of the week, and weekend versus weekday. We assessed the degree of interhospital admission rates using the index of dispersion (ID). Results Children with cancer had 60 054 ED encounters at 37 hospitals. Overall, 62.5% were admitted (range 43.2%-92.1%, ID 2.6) indicating overdispersed admission rates with high variability. Children with cancer that visited the ED for a primary diagnosis of fever experienced the largest amount of variability in admission with rates ranging from 10.4% to 74.1% (ID 8.1). Less variability existed among hospital admission rates for both neutropenia (range 60%-100%, ID 1.0) and febrile neutropenia (FN) (range 66.7%-100%, ID 0.83). Admission rates by day of the week did not demonstrate significant variability for any of the scenarios examined (overall P = 0.91). There were no differences by weekend versus weekday either (overall P = 0.52). Conclusion The percentage of children with cancer admitted through the ED varies widely by institution and diagnosis. Standardization of best practices for children with cancer admitted through the ED should be an area of continued improvement.
Associations of mindfulness with adolescent outcomes and sexuality.

Abstract Introduction Using an online survey, we evaluated how adolescent trait and state mindfulness was associated with positive adolescent outcomes in non-sexually active and sexually active adolescents. Additionally, we evaluated a newly developed measure, the Sexual Mindfulness Measure (SMM), with adolescents. Methods We asked 2000 U.S. adolescents (half boys/girls; 1/3 low, medium, and high incomes) aged 13–18 (one group 13–15, another 16–18) about trait mindfulness, sexual state mindfulness, and adolescent outcomes. Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and structured equation modeling, we evaluated the reliability and validity of the SMM and its associations with adolescent outcomes. Results Using a trait mindfulness measure, we found that mindful adolescents with no sexual experience, showed positive associations with self-efficacy, body-esteem, and disclosure with both fathers and mothers. Evaluating adolescents who were sexually active, we confirmed that the SMM had a two-factor structure and demonstrated acceptable reliability for both male and female adolescents. We found that the SMM was associated with positive sexual attitudes, body image, self-efficacy, and disclosure to parents above and beyond trait mindfulness. Conclusions Trait mindfulness was associated with positive self-assessments and parental disclosure. The SMM provided an important assessment of how sexually active adolescents’ ability to remain aware and non-judgmental during sexual experiences may be positively associated with outcomes such as sexual consent, positive body image, self-efficacy, disclosure to parents, and negatively associated with sexual shame and sexual anxiety above and beyond trait mindfulness.
Hand hygiene during COVID-19: Recommendations from the American Contact Dermatitis Society.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased hand hygiene and hand cleansing awareness. To prevent virus transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends frequent hand washing with soap and water. Hand hygiene products are available in a variety of forms, and while each of these formulations may be effective against COVID-19, they may also alter skin barrier integrity and function. As health care workers and the general population focus on stringent hand hygiene, the American Contact Dermatitis Society anticipates an increase in both irritant contact and allergic contact hand dermatitis. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with moisturizers have the least sensitizing and irritancy potential when compared to soaps and synthetic detergents. This article provides an overview of the most frequently used hand hygiene products and their associations with contact dermatitis as well as recommendations from the American Contact Dermatitis Society on how to treat and prevent further dermatitis.
Can Pre-K Use C3? Exploring the Usefulness of the C3 Framework with Prekindergarten Students and their Teacher in an Inquiry on Landmarks

Deep social studies-based engagement is critical in early childhood to provide a foundation for later learning and increasingly mature understandings. Skills and attitudes necessary for active citi...
Modeling the change in electric potential due to lightning in one-dimensional space

The change in electric potential as a result of lightning in a one-dimensional domain is evaluated. Eigenfunctions are used to evaluate the new potential. The change in the electric potential is a ...
Impact of income and perceived stress on engagement and weight loss outcomes in an online behavioral weight loss program

Lower income is associated with greater stress, and stress has been shown to undermine treatment engagement and weight loss outcomes in face-to-face interventions. The present study examined whether lower income predicts treatment engagement and weight loss outcomes during an online behavioral weight loss (BWL) intervention. A total of N = 260 participants (79.2% female; 50.7 ± 11.9 years of age; 60.3% non-Hispanic White) were enrolled into an online BWL program and had their income, stress, program engagement, and weight measured. Results showed that stress fully mediated the effect of income on engagement in the online program. Further, lower income predicted poorer weight loss outcomes, and this effect was partially mediated by perceived stress. This is the first study to demonstrate that lower income is associated with poorer engagement and weight loss outcomes in an online weight loss program, underscoring the need for systems-level stress reduction programs and individual level stress management tools, particularly for individuals with lower income.
Headache prevalence following recovery from TTP and aHUS.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndromes (aHUS) are distinct clinical disorders characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, microthrombi, and end organ damage. TTP is characterized by a low ADAMTS13 activity level at diagnosis of 10 % ADAMTS13 activity. Despite clinical remission, survivors of thrombotic microangiopathy suffer significant comorbidity and decreased quality of life (QOL) than their healthy counterparts. The reason for this is unclear. Is it a lingering effect from their initial acute episode or ongoing subclinical injury/inflammation despite clinical remission? Common clinical complaints validated in practice include increased depression, deficits in memory, concentration, mood, and mental endurance. We suspect headaches may be an important clinical tool toward understanding patient morbidity and decreased QOL. To date, no studies report headache frequency or severity in this population. To answer this question, adult patients >3 months since their last acute episode of TTP or aHUS were approached to take a Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) survey. Between June 1, 2013 and May 30, 2014, 31 patients in remission (21 patients with prior TTP and 10 patients with prior aHUS) completed the HIT-6 survey. The survey scores were then compared to the HIT-6 normative population data established by Qualitymetric incorporated. Overall, TTP patients had a significantly higher average HIT-6 score of 59.9 compared to an average HIT-6 score of 51 seen in sex-matched controls (SD 9.6, p value 0.002). No significant difference was seen in the HIT-6 scores of aHUS patients. Of TTP patients studied, approximately 57 % (12/21) had three or more episodes and were >24 months since the last episode. The average time since last acute episode in TTP patients was 37.5 months. There was no significant correlation between TTP survivor HIT-6 scores and the number of prior episodes (1, 2, or >3) or timing from the last episode (3-6, 7-12, 13-24, or >24 months). About 19/21 (90 %) patients, who are TTP survivors, also had a normal ADAMTS13 activity level (>10 %) on the day of the survey. Our study suggests that headaches have significant impact on TTP survivors and should be followed in the clinical setting to prevent undue patient morbidity. Larger studies are needed to understand how headaches impact long-term survival and risk of relapse.
Reforming The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court's Interpretive Secrecy Problem

This symposium essay focuses on national security surveillance and democratic legitimacy. The essay provides a very brief overview and history of the section 215 metadata program and the section 702 program. The essay recounts how much of the legal foundation for the section 702 program was widely debated in Congress. Members of Congress, advocacy groups, and the public were aware (or at least had the opportunity to make themselves aware) of the scope of the program, which was based in large part on the Terrorist Surveillance Program. The essay contrasts that record of public debate with the section 215 program, which relied upon a broad interpretation of a statute. That interpretation was argued in secret, issued in secret, not subject to appellate review, and not disclosed to members of Congress while they were debating whether the statute enabling the section 215 program should be renewed. The essay contends that this lack of democratic transparency is a significant failure of the FISA Court system, which the essay notes should be remedied. The essay then argues that FISC interpretive secrecy can be remedied by mandating appellate review of FISC opinions and orders and by imposing a requirement that all FISC opinions and orders are presumptively published, subject to appropriate redactions (with those redactions being subject to automatic appellate review).
Imaging of Cell-Cell Communication in a Vertical Orientation Reveals High-Resolution Structure of Immunological Synapse and Novel PD-1 Dynamics

The immunological synapse (IS) is one of the most pivotal communication strategies in immune cells. Understanding the molecular basis of the IS provides critical information regarding how immune cells mount an effective immune response. Fluorescence microscopy provides a fundamental tool to study the IS. However, current imaging techniques for studying the IS cannot sufficiently achieve high resolution in real cell-cell conjugates. In this study, we present a new device that allows for high-resolution imaging of the IS with conventional confocal microscopy in a high-throughput manner. Combining micropits and single-cell trap arrays, we have developed a new microfluidic platform that allows visualization of the IS in vertically "stacked" cells. Using this vertical cell pairing (VCP) system, we investigated the dynamics of the inhibitory synapse mediated by an inhibitory receptor, programed death protein-1, and the cytotoxic synapse at the single-cell level. In addition to the technique innovation, we have demonstrated novel biological findings by this VCP device, including novel distribution of F-actin and cytolytic granules at the IS, programed death protein-1 microclusters at the NK IS, and kinetics of cytotoxicity. We propose that this high-throughput, cost-effective, easy-to-use VCP system, along with conventional imaging techniques, can be used to address a number of significant biological questions in a variety of disciplines.
Influence of Dietary Fat Intake on Endothelial Progenitor Cell Function (LB678)

High dietary fat intake has been linked to promoting cardiovascular disease and increasing the risk of heart attack. Bone-marrow derived circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in repairing and maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. Circulating EPCs home to sites of vascular damage to initiate a repair response. Declines in circulating EPC function has been linked to greater risk of cardiovascular disease and vascular events. It is currently unknown whether habitual consumption of a diet high in fat is associated with impairments in EPC function. Cells with phenotypic EPC characteristics were isolated from peripheral blood samples collected from 26 middle-aged and older adults: 13 who habitually consumed a diet high in fat (蠅35% of total calories); 13 who habitually consumed a diet lower in fat (<35% of total calories). All subjects were sedentary and free of cardiometabolic disease. Diet was assessed using 4-day food records and analyzed using a nutritional so...
Prognostic factors for the survival of patients with esophageal carcinoma in the U.S.: the importance of tumor length and lymph node status.

BACKGROUND The current TNM classification system does not consider tumor length or the number of lymph nodes in the staging and classification scheme for patients with esophageal carcinoma. Using data from the National Cancer Institute SEER Program, the authors explored the effect of tumor length and number of positive lymph nodes on survival in patients with esophageal carcinoma. METHODS Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma were subgrouped according to historic stage with localized, regional, or distant disease. Demographic factors (age at diagnosis, race, and gender) and tumor characteristics (morphology, histologic grade, tumor length, primary site, depth of invasion, number of positive lymph nodes, proportion of positive lymph nodes dissected, and distant metastatic sites) were examined. RESULTS Overall factors that were associated with an increased mortality risk included increasing age at diagnosis, black race versus white race, histologic grade, primary tumor site in the lower esophagus and abdomen versus upper regions, and increasing depth of invasion. Among patients with regional disease, the number of positive lymph nodes (≥ 5 vs. < 5) was related to an increasing risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.06–1.56). The proportion of positive lymph nodes compared with the number of lymph nodes dissected conferred an increased risk (HR, 1.63; 95%CI, 1.26–2.11). Among patients with distant disease, sites other than distant lymph nodes implied an increased mortality risk (HR, 1.37; 95%CI, 1.37–1.65). Tumor length was an independent predictor of mortality when controlling for depth of invasion in patients with localized disease (HR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.08–1.21). CONCLUSIONS Tumor length, the number of involved lymph nodes, and the ratio of positive lymph nodes are important prognostic factors for survival in patients with esophageal carcinoma. A revised TNM classification system for patients with esophageal carcinoma might consider adding tumor length and number of positive lymph nodes as two important prognostic factors. Cancer 2002;95:1434–43. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10868
Control of gluconeogenesis in liver. I. General features of gluconeogenesis in the perfused livers of rats.

Abstract Gluconeogenesis from lactate, pyruvate, fructose, glycerol, amino acids, and other compounds was examined in the isolated rat liver perfused with buffer containing blood cells and serum albumin. The following observations were made. The condition of the liver remained good during 2 hours of perfusion at 37° as judged by its gross appearance, oxygen uptake, bile production, water content, and linear rates of glucose production from various substrates. The highest rate of glucose production (about 120 µmoles per g of liver per hour) was observed with saturating concentrations of fructose or dihydroxyacetone. This rate was double that with a saturating level of l-lactate or pyruvate, suggesting that the steps limiting gluconeogenesis from lactate or pyruvate lie before the formation of triose phosphate. The concentration of lactate for half-maximum gluconeogenesis was about 2 mm and that of pyruvate, about 1 mm. The same maximum rate of gluconeogenesis was observed with both substrates. Glycerol, d-glyceraldehyde, l-alanine, or l-serine at high concentrations supported rates of gluconeogenesis about double that found without added substrate (or approximately one-half the maximum rate with l-lactate). d-Lactate, other amino acids, and Krebs cycle intermediates were poor precursors when added singly. With a mixture of amino acids at plasma concentrations, basal glucose production was increased 3-fold and with 1 mm lactate it was doubled. The mean time for conversion of lactate to glucose was 75 sec. The rate of glucose utilization by the liver was low compared with gluconeogenesis. High levels of glucose did not suppress gluconeogenesis from saturating concentrations of lactate. Glucose was the major product of lactate, pyruvate, and fructose metabolism. Lactate production with fructose was greater than that with glucose. With pyruvate-2-14C, there was a 3-fold greater incorporation of isotope into glucose plus glycogen than into CO2. With pyruvate-1-14C, labeling of hexose was much less than that of CO2 and was 38% of that found with pyruvate-2-14C. A mathematical treatment of the isotopic data was developed. With certain assumptions, it was computed that pyruvate was converted to oxalacetate at twice the rate at which it was converted to acetyl coenzyme A, and that most of the acetyl-CoA formed from pyruvate entered the Krebs cycle. It was also deduced that the rate of conversion of oxalacetate to phosphopyruvate was 3-fold greater than the rate of conversion to citrate. There was no correlation between the rates of gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis. Lactate increased glucose production 4-fold but decreased ketogenesis by 70%. Physiological levels of oleate stimulated ketogenesis but not gluconeogenesis in livers from fasted or fed rats. In fed rats, octanoate increased ketogenesis 3-fold but did not affect gluconeogenesis.
Response to David Meltzer's paper "Hospitalists and the doctor-patient relationship".

Abstract The hospitalist movement, in which a generalist physician assumes the physician‐of‐record role for hospitalized patients in place of the patients’ own primary physician, is transforming American hospital care. Studies, including those by David Meltzer, support the premise that hospitalist care is less expensive and possibly of higher quality than inpatient care provided by primary physicians. Meltzer’s survey of randomly selected individuals indicates that, although many would prefer that their own physician orchestrate their inpatient care, relatively few would pay more than $100 for this privilege. This indicates that patient dissatisfaction with the hospitalist model is unlikely to impede its widespread implementation. Hospitalists are just the latest example of the ongoing tension between generalism and specialization in American medicine. The hospitalist—unlike most traditional medical specialists—is actually a generalist by nature whose specialty is defined by the site of care rather than b...
What Do Clients Want from Their Lawyers

This working paper assembles empirical data from England, Australia and the United States indicating that individual clients do not evaluate their lawyers - as attorneys frequently assume - primarily in terms of the outcomes achieved. Rather, clients place greater weight on the quality of communication with their lawyers and are often disappointed by failure to listen carefully and explain clearly. The paper concludes with suggestive survey data that organizational clients may have similar views about the large firm lawyers that represent them. The author is the director of the Effective Lawyer-Client Communication Project and the National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism. The paper is based on a number of presentations in both the United Kingdom and the USA, most recently at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Law & Society Association.
Utilizing the Common Criteria for Advanced Student Research Projects

In most computer science graduate programs, students must complete an advanced research project that demonstrates the students technical competence in both the theory and practice of the field. Information security is a specialization area of computer science whose research results have direct benefits to real world problems. The Common Criteria (CC) is an international standard for security evaluation of products. This paper describes the utilization of the CC paradigmatic framework for advanced student research projects focused on security engineering. Three CC-based efforts of varying levels of difficulty are presented and the suitability and benefits of applying the CC in this context are discussed.
Acceptance of naltrexone by pregnant women enrolled in comprehensive drug addiction treatment: an initial survey.

This paper reports the results of an initial survey regarding the potential interest in naltrexone treatment by pregnant women enrolled in comprehensive treatment for substance use disorders. Pregnant women (N = 112) were asked about their interest in taking either an oral or long-acting injectable medication that would stop heroin and/or alcohol use, leave them “clear-headed,” and without neonatal withdrawal. Results indicate strong interest among pregnant women in antagonist treatment, in either form, with clear interest in learning more about naltrexone. Findings lend support for patient's acceptance of a clinical trial of antagonist treatment in this population. (Am J Addict 2012;21:199–201)
Electrical concepts in the surface electromyographic signal.

There are frequently used electrical terms in the biofeedback literature. Often it is assumed that the reader has detailed knowledge of these terms. The difficulty begins when seemingly familiar terms are used as a basis for an in-depth explanation of the process of electromyography. For example, the concept of impedance is based on three building blocks of electricity: current, voltage and resistance. The term “impedance” is found in every manual for biofeedback equipment with the suggestion that the electrode site be kept “low” and the encoder input “high”. A little electrical knowledge can explain why this is so and in the process formulate a more thorough understanding of the equipment used everyday with a client.
The Challenges Facing Civic Education in the 21st Century

This essay explores the value and state of civics education in the United States and identifies five challenges facing those seeking to improve its quality and accessibility: 1) ensuring that the quality of civics education is high is not a state or federal priority; 2) social studies textbooks do not facilitate the development of needed civic skills; 3) upper-income students are better served by our schools than are lower-income individuals; 4) cutbacks in funds available to schools make implementing changes in civics education difficult; and 5) reform efforts are complicated by the fact that civics education has become a pawn in a polarized debate among partisans.
Water Zoning — Tool for Ground-Water Basin Managersa

Water zoning is not new in arid areas. Many States have laws limiting pumping. However, most of the existing ordinances do not achieve their stated purpose. Many enforce conservation of scarce resources for benefit of future users. Some purport to ensure a continuous water supply to the rights holders. Existing ordinances that limit pumping to the so-called safe yield do not take costs or recoverable benefits into consideration, and the period of use is not stipulated. Therefore, where pumping is regulated under such ordinances, the basins cannot be managed to obtain maximum benefits to present users of the available supply. Two types of ordinances are discussed: general-purpose and management-plan ordinances, which are designed to make possible the achievement of specific objectives. Examples are given of how the latter can be designed to: limit stream depletion and protect existing rights; disperse pumping to increase economic return; force conjunctive use of all land, mineral, and water resources; and establish production quotas to insure optimum economic return to all users during a predetermined period.
The spectral radius of a planar graph

A decomposition result for planar graphs is used to prove that the spectral radius of a planar graph on n vertices is less than 4 + √ 3 (n − 3). Moreover, the spectral radius of an outerplanar graph on n vertices is less than 1 + √2 + √2 + √n − 5.
Gyro Rock Crusher and Asphalt Plant Sound Power Levels

Sound power levels including the distribution into octaves from a large 149 kW (200 horsepower) gyro rock crusher and separate asphalt plant are presented. These NIST-traceable data are needed for estimating sound pressure levels at large distances (such as occurs on adjoining property to a quarry) where atmospheric attenuation may be significant for the higher frequencies. Included are examples of the computed A-weighted sound pressure levels at a distance from the source, including atmospheric attenuation. Substantial low-frequency sound power levels are noted which are greatly reduced in the far-field A-weighted sound pressure level calculations.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Fabrication of wafer scale, aligned sub-25 nm nanowire and nanowire templates using planar edge defined alternate layer process

Abstract We have demonstrated a new planar edge defined alternate layer (PEDAL) process to make sub-25 nm nanowires across the whole wafer. The PEDAL process is useful in the fabrication of metal nanowires directly onto the wafer by shadow metallization and has the ability to fabricate sub-10 nm nanowires with 20 nm pitch. The process can also be used to make templates for the nano-imprinting with which the crossbar structures can be fabricated. The process involves defining the edge by etching a trench patterned by conventional i -line lithography, followed by deposition of alternating layers of silicon nitride and crystallized a-Si. The thickness of these layers determines the width and spacing of the nanowires. Later the stack is planarized to the edge of the trench by spinning polymer Shipley 1813 and then dry etching the polymer, nitride and polysilicon stack with non-selective RIE etch recipe. Selective wet etch of either nitride or polysilicon gives us the array of an aligned nanowires template. After shadow metallization of the required metal, we get metal nanowires on the wafer. The process has the flexibility of routing the nanowires around the logic and memory modules all across the wafer. The fabrication facilities required for the process are readily available and this process provides the great alternative to existing slow and/or costly nanowire patterning techniques.
Quark confinement in C-periodic cylinders at temperatures above Tc☆

Abstract Due to the Gauss law, a single quark cannot exist in a periodic volume, while it can exist with C-periodic boundary conditions. In a C-periodic cylinder of cross section A = LxLy and length Lz ⪢ Lx,Ly containing deconfined gluons, regions of different high temperature Z (3) phases are aligned along the z-direction, separated by deconfined-deconfined interfaces. In this geometry, the free energy of a single static quark diverges in proportion to Lz. Hence, paradoxically, the quark is confined, although the temperature T is larger than Tc. At T ≈ Tc, the confined phase coexists with the three deconfined phases. The deconfined-deconfined interfaces can be completely or incompletely wet by the confined phase. The free energy of a quark behaves differently in these two cases. Our results imply that deconfined-deconfined interfaces are not just Euclidean artifacts, but have observable consequences in a system of hot gluons.
Synthesis and thermochemistry of 4-diazo-1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclohexa-2,5-diene

Abstract A vastly improved synthesis of 1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclohexa-2,5-diene-4-one is described. Direct conversion of the ketone to the diazo derivative is easily accomplished, but a simpler method, not involving the ketone, is presented for synthesis of the title compound. In an attempt to observe rearrangement of the diazo system, pyrolysis under a variety of techniques was performed. No evidence of formation of a silabenzene was obtained.
Electric-field enhancement and modulation of permanent grating diffraction in dye and carbon nanotube-doped liquid crystal

Permanent gratings were written, without the aid of external fields, in planar nematic liquid crystal cells doped with only Methyl Red (MR) as well as cells doped with both Methyl Red and single-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Grating formation based on trans-cis photoisomerism of MR followed by surface adsorption of the cis-isomer was attempted. The diffraction efficiency was easily enhanced and modulated by application of ac fields covering wide ranges of frequency and voltage; thus, allowing for tuning the diffracted signals. Cells doped with MR and CNTs had a maximum relative diffraction efficiency of 67% while cells doped only with MR exhibited a maximum of 28%. The maximum diffraction efficiency appears to be associated with the Freedericksz threshold voltage. The permanent gratings are robust and have remained stable for over two years.
Two Alternative Mechanisms That Regulate the Presentation of Apoptotic Cell Engulfment Signal in Caenorhabditis elegans

Phosphatidylserine exposed on the surface of apoptotic mammalian cells is considered an "eat-me" signal that attracts phagocytes. The generality of using phosphatidylserine as a clearance signal for apoptotic cells in animals and the regulation of this event remain uncertain. Using ectopically expressed mouse MFG-E8, a secreted phosphatidylserine-binding protein, we detected specific exposure of phosphatidylserine on the surface of apoptotic cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. Masking the surface phosphatidylserine inhibits apoptotic cell engulfment. CED-7, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, is necessary for the efficient exposure of phosphatidylserine on apoptotic somatic cells, and for the recognition of these cells by phagocytic receptor CED-1. Alternatively, phosphatidylserine exposure on apoptotic germ cells is not CED-7 dependent, but instead requires phospholipid scramblase PLSC-1, a homologue of mammalian phospholipid scramblases. Moreover, deleting plsc-1 results in the accumulation of apoptotic germ cells but not apoptotic somatic cells. These observations suggest that phosphatidylserine might be recognized by CED-1 and act as a conserved eat-me signal from nematodes to mammals. Furthermore, the two different biochemical activities used in somatic cells (ABC transporter) and germ cells (phospholipid scramblase) suggest an increased complexity in the regulation of phosphatidylserine presentation in response to apoptotic signals in different tissues and during different developmental stages.
Transferable nonorthogonal tight-binding scheme for silicon.

A minimal-parameter tight-binding theory incorporating explicit use of nonorthogonality of the basis, is used to generate a transferable scheme for silicon. Good results are obtained for band structure, phase diagram, and bulk phonons. The diamond structure is found to be the ground state even when compared with the clathrate structure. The results for clusters show good agreement with ab initio predictions. The theory differs from the conventional orthogonal schemes in three main respects: (1) only three adjustable parameters are employed, (2) no artificial cutoff is used for interactions and, (3) the need for a coordination-dependent energy term has been obviated for clusters of any size.
A non-reptation model for polymer dynamics in the melt and concentrated solutions

Abstract A model for the dynamics of dense multichain polymer systems involving linear chains is presented. The model is based on the assumption that chain motion perpendicular to the direction of the chain backbone dominates the dynamics over motion along the backbone. Many chains are highly intertwind with any given chain. It is assumed that the chain motion at an interchain contact point proceeds by sliding along the contour of each entangling chain. The requirement that a chain moves by sliding along the random-flight contour of another chain at a contact point results in an effective bead-friction coefficient for three-dimensional motion which is an increasing function of time. The chain dynamics are evaluated within a Rouse-like model employing the time-dependent bead-friction coefficient. The asymtotic large-N dependencies of the center-of-mass diffusion coefficient and the terminal relaxation time are found to be N−2 and N3, respectively. Calcualtions are performed for chains of various lengths, and the results of the model are qualitatively very similar to those reported from the Monte Carlo simulations and experiments. Calculations of the linear viscoelastic response of monodisperse and bidisperse systems are presented. These show excellent agreement with published experimental data.
Social indicators and urban policy analysis

Abstract Although there are natural ties among the social indicators movement, productivity studies and urban service delivery research, these have been overlooked. This paper presents a systems framework involving policy variables, performance variables, state variables, citizen behaviors and citizen perceptions, and linking government with citizen subsystems. Four hypotheses derived from this framework are presented for assessing citizens' perceptions of local government performance and of the state of their municipality. Ultimately such a framework should be useful for setting local policy and evaluating its impact.
The Effect of Supine and Lateral Recumbency on Plasma Renin Activity During Pregnancy

During pregnancy supine posture is known to decrease renal function when compared to lateral recumbency. To assess the effects of these postural changes on plasma renin activity, 11 pregnant subjects were studied at 37–40 weeks of gestation. In every case plasma renin activity was higher in the supine position than the lateral with a mean increase of 62.3% ± 49.5% (sd) (p < 0.01) of control (lateral) value. This increase occurred despite no change in mean renin substrate concentration (101% ± 17.3% sd). In late pregnancy, during the supine posture, the gravid uterus impairs venous return, decreases effective circulating volume, glomerular nitration rate and renal blood flow and increases plasma renin activity when compared to lateral recumbency. The position of the patient must be considered in studies of renin during pregnancy.