cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The costs of freer trade

Free trade cannot exist as a pure benefit in a democracy because there will always exist political pressures that seek to protect some group from foreign competition or uncertainty. These groups must be taken care of politically and administrative costs are incurred in so doing. Similarly, there must be a dispute settlement apparatus at the supernational as well as the national level. Administrative costs are incurred in maintaining as well as in achieving the existing degree of liberalization. There may exist a state in which the gains from additional liberalization are outweighed by the marginal administrative costs incurred.
An exploratory case‐only analysis of gene‐hazardous air pollutant interactions and the risk of childhood medulloblastoma

Background There is evidence that exposure to chlorinated solvents may be associated with childhood medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (M/PNET) risk. Animal models suggest genes related to detoxification and DNA repair are important in the carcinogenicity of these pollutants; however, there have been no human studies assessing the modifying effects of these genotypes on the association between chlorinated solvents and childhood M/PNET risk. Procedure We conducted a case-only study to evaluate census tract-level exposure to chlorinated solvents and the risk of childhood M/PNET in the context of detoxification and DNA repair genotypes. Cases (n = 98) were obtained from Texas Children's Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Key genotypes (n = 22) were selected from the Illumina Human 1M Quad SNP Chip. Exposure to chlorinated solvents (methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride) was estimated from the US EPA's 1999 Assessment System for Population Exposure Nationwide (ASPEN). Logistic regression was used to estimate the case-only odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results There were 11 significant gene–environment interactions associated with childhood M/PNET risk. However, after correcting for multiple comparisons, only the interaction between high trichloroethylene levels and OGG1 rs293795 significantly increased the risk of childhood M/PNET risk (OR = 9.24, 95% CI: 2.24, 38.24, Q = 0.04). Conclusions This study provides an initial assessment of the interaction between ambient levels of chlorinated solvents and potentially relevant genotypes on childhood M/PNET risk. Our results are exploratory and must be validated in animal models, as well as additional human studies. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:605–610. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enduring Image of War: Myth and Ideology in a Newsweek Cover

L'A. s'interroge sur la presentation de la Guerre du Golfe dans les medias americains. Il s'interesse plus particulierement a celle vehiculee par Newsweek. Il rappelle qu'en fevrier 1991 ce magazine avait publie la photo d'un soldat americain capture et maltraite par les irakiens. Il estime que cette image a constitue un veritable outil de preparation ideologique a la guerre. Il montre que ce journal, pour susciter cette mobilisation, a su utiliser un vieux mythe de la culture americaine : le recit de captivite. Il passe en revue les analyses concernant les photographies intervenant dans les magazines d'information. Il propose, sur ce plan, une methode d'analyse inspiree par les travaux de R. Barthes. Il examine dans le detail, par ce biais, la photographie publiee par Newsweek
The Oracle platform for real time streaming event driven architecture based solutions

At the core of the Oracle Event Stream Processing strategy, the Oracle Complex Event Processing (CEP) technology provides a complete Real Time Integration Platform for building applications to filter, correlate and process streaming events, so that downstream ED-SOA applications are driven by true, real-time intelligence.http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/event-driven-architecture/overview/index.htmlApplications face an increasing need to track "assets of interest" and initiate actions based on encroachment of boundary proximity to fixed and moving objects and other geographic, temporal, or event conditions. This session will provide an overview of how the integration of Oracle Complex Event Processing with Oracle Spatial can address these conditions, showcasing a mission critical, highly available Real Time geo-fencing application demonstration.
The Effects of Head-Head Interactions on Myosin-Based Actin Sliding Velocities

Myosin generates force with its weak-to-strong actin binding transition and senses force through a strain-dependent step closely associated with ADP release. We have developed both analytical and computational models of the cooperative interplay between these force-generating and force-sensing biochemical transitions. These models make several novel predictions for unloaded shortening muscle, such as rate constants, k-D, for ADP release that are [ADP]- and [ATP]-dependent. The model also predicts that the acceleration of k-D is associated with a dissipation of interhead strain. To test these model predictions, we use an in vitro motility assay to determine the effects of [ADP] and [ATP] on actin sliding velocities, V, and to determine changes in interhead strain by measuring the rate of actin filament breaking. Our results show a non-hyperbolic nucleotide-dependence of V and a nucleotide-dependence of the rate of actin filament breaking that are both consistent with our cooperative model.
A history of obesity, or how what was good became ugly and then bad

Chronic food shortage and malnutrition have been the scourge of humankind from the dawn of history. The current worldwide epidemic of obesity, now recognized as a public health crisis, is barely a few decades old. Only after the technological advances of the eighteenth century did a gradual increase in food supply became available. The initial effect of these advances in improved public health and amount, quality, and variety of food was increased longevity and body size. These early favorable outcomes of technological advances notwithstanding, their incremental effect since the Second World War has been an overabundance of easily accessible food, coupled with reduced physical activity, that accounts for the recent increased prevalence of obesity. Obesity as a chronic disease with well-defined pathologic consequences is less than a century old. The scarcity of food throughout most of history had led to connotations that being fat was good, and that corpulence and increased "flesh" were desirable as reflected in the arts, literature, and medical opinion of the times. Only in the latter half of the nineteenth century did being fat begin to be stigmatized for aesthetic reasons, and in the twentieth century, its association with increased mortality was recognized. Whereas early reports listed obesity as a risk factor for mortality from "chronic nephritis," the subsequent recognition of the more common association of obesity with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease altered the listings and questioned its being a risk factor for kidney disease. An enlarging body of evidence, accrued over the past decade, now indicates a direct association of obesity with chronic kidney disease and its outcomes.
Validity of Exchangeable Solute Balance as a Measure of Blood Volume in Neurologically Injured Adults

Daily weight (DW) and examination of fluid balances (FB) are commonly used in assessments of extracellular fluid (ECF) and circulating blood volume (BV). We hypothesized that a calculated total body exchangeable solute, the main determinant of the ECF, would have high agreement and correlation with actual BV. The University of Washington IRB approved the study. We included a sample of consecutive adult patients in whom a BV was measured, while in the neuroscience intensive care units of a large academic medical center. BV was measured as part of routine care using iodinated 131I albumin injection and the BVA-100 (Daxor Corp, New York, NY, USA). Total body exchangeable solute was estimated at the time of BV measurement by multiplying the calculated total body water by the sum of the sodium plus potassium and chloride measured in plasma. The correlation between the change in DW, FB (adjusted for insensible fluid loss), exchangeable solute, and BV was performed using linear regression with adjustment for number of days between admit and BV measurement, and capillary leak. Errors were computed using robust variance estimation. 55 patients had BV tests available, and 43 of them had subarachnoid hemorrhage. Total body exchangeable solute strongly correlated with BV (r = 0.75, 95 % CI 0.63–0.84, p < 0.01 for Na+/K+, and r = 0.71, 95 % CI 0.58–0.81, p < 0.01 for Cl−). DW (r = 0.21) and FB (r = 0.11) were not correlated with BV. Total body exchangeable solute appears to be a valid and reliable measure of BV and can be calculated using information readily available at the bedside. The value of having this information automatically calculated and available at the bedside should be explored.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF POLLUTING PLANTS: A SPATIAL ANALYSIS ∗

This paper uses plant-level EPA and Census data to examine spatial fac- tors affecting environmental performance, as measured by air pollutant emissions and regulatory compliance. We find significant effects for compliance, but not for emissions. Compliance is positively spatially correlated, partly explained by spatial correlations in observed plant characteristics, suggesting influences of industry agglomeration. The use of spatial econometric methods shows only small effects of spatially lagged compliance status, and does not greatly change the estimated contributions of other spatially explicit factors. Regulatory activity has the expected effect of increasing environmental perfor- mance, both at the inspected plant and at neighboring plants, but only for plants in the same state, demonstrating the importance of jurisdictional boundaries.
Syncytium-forming Agent isolated from Domestic Cats

WHILE trying to establish cell culture lines from neoplasms of adult cats, we found a typical syncytial type of cytopathology (Fig. 1) in many of the cultures between the fourteenth and twenty-first day of cultivation.
A developmental study of intonation recognition.

Two experiments investigated the information conveyed by intonation from speaker to listener. A multiple-choice test was devised to test the ability of 48 adults to recognize and label intonation w...
Particle enhanced plasmonic NSOM

Nearfield scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) offers a practical means of optical imaging at a resolution well beyond the diffraction limit of the light. However, its applications are limited due to the strong attenuation of the light transmitted through the sub-wavelength aperture. In this paper, we report the development of particle enhanced plasmonic nearfield scanning optical microscope (PEP-NSOM) with a high optical coupling efficiency and a high spatial resolution. Two plasmonic components, a gold nanoparticle and a plasmonic lens, are integrated on a PEP-NSOM probe. By exciting both propagating surface plasmons and localized surface plasmons, PEP-NSOM probes are capable of focusing light onto the nanoparticle assembled on the aperture of the plasmonic lens, which can further squeeze the light to a few tens of nanometers. Nearfield intensity at the focus points of PEP-NSOM probes is 590 times higher than that of incident light according to numerical simulations. The E-field profile is also shown to be confined laterally <50nm at the imaging plane, which promises good nearfield images with high spatial resolution and low signal-noise ratio. Investigation indicates the local intensity enhancement can be further increased to be 4830 when using a gold nanodimer on the PEP-NSOM probe, which suggests the PEP-NSOM to be an open system of utilizing plasmonic nanostructures for nano-imaging. By providing a strong nano-scale light source, PEP-NSOM can be used as a high speed nano-scale imaging tool for single molecule detection and many other applications requiring high temporal/spatial resolution.
Motor learning: its relevance to stroke recovery and neurorehabilitation.

Purpose of reviewMuch of neurorehabilitation rests on the assumption that patients can improve with practice. This review will focus on arm movements and address the following questions: (i) What is motor learning? (ii) Do patients with hemiparesis have a learning deficit? (iii) Is recovery after in
Renal phosphate excretion in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats.

Renal phosphate excretion in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats. Renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate was studied in unanesthetized spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Three-hour-urinary phosphate excretions of 12-week-old-male SHR (53.0 ± 13.1 µg/mg creatinine, N=7) and 14-week-old female SHR (81.8 ± 12.8, N=8) were significantly lower than those of age sex-matched WKY (12 week, 435.8 ± 73.2, N=8, P Pi V = 6.85 ± 1.83 µg/min) and fractional phosphate excretion (FE Pi = 13.7 ± 2.3%) of SHR were lower than those of WKY (U Pi V = 15.9 ± 1.87 µg/min, P Pi 22.8 ± 2.6%, P 2 were not different between WKY and SHR. The low renal phosphate clearance of SHR was noted at a very early age; the U Pi V of 5-week-old SHR was already lower than that of WKY. Maximum tubular phosphate reabsorption (TmPi) was studied in the 12-week-old SHR and WKY after acute thyroparathyroidectomy. TmPi of SHR (241 ± 3.0 µg/ml GFR/100 g, N=7) was greater than that of WKY (204 ± 7.0, N=8, P Excretion renale de phosphates chez des rats Wistar Kyoto spontanement hypertendus et normotendus. La reabsorption tubulaire des phosphates a ete etudiee chez des rats Wistar Kyoto (WKY) eveilles, spontanement hypertendus (SHR) et normotendus. Les excretions urinaires de phosphates de 3 heures chez des SHR mâles de 12 semaines (53,0 ± 13,1 µug/mg creatinine, N=7) et des femelles SHR de 14 semaines (81,8 ± 12,8, N=8) etaient significativement plus faibles que celles chez des WKY d'âge et de sexe identiques (12 semaines, 435,8 ± 73,2, N=8, P Pi V = 6,85 ± 1,83 µg/min) et l'excretion fractionnelle de phosphates (FE Pi = 13,7 ± 2,3%) des SHR etaient plus faibles que celles des WKY (U Pi V = 15,9 ± 1,87 µg/min, P Pi 22,8 ± 2,6%, P 2 arteriels ne differaient pas entre WKY et SHR. La faible clearance renale des phosphates des SHR etait notee a un âge tres jeune; U Pi V des SHR de 5 semaines etait deja plus faible que celle des WKY. La reabsorption maximale tubulaire des phosphates (TmPi) a ete etudiee chez des SHR et des WKY de 12 semaines apres thyro-parathyroidectomie aigue. TmPi des SHR (241 ±3,0 µg/ml GFR/100 g, N=7) etait plus elevee que celle des WKY (204 ± 7,0, N=8, P
Investigation of matrix effects and isotope dilution in SIMS measurement of uranium in soils

Abstract The characteristics of sputter-initiated resonance ionization spectroscopy (SIRIS) for determining trace uranium concentrations in soils are investigated. Although, presently, the most formidable problem in the assay of environmental materials with SIRIS is the low sensitivity of the system, we have chosen to focus on matrix effects as possible limiting factors in this paper. Separate active efforts are being made to improve sensitivity and isotopic selectivity in RIS systems. Electrically conducting solid samples compatible with high vacuum are made by compacting soil with 15% or greater graphite binder. It is found that matrix effects on the absolute uranium SIRIS signals can be as large as two orders of magnitude, precluding a direct comparison of uranium concentrations through uranium SIRIS signal levels. The method of isotope dilution is also explored. Systematic errors caused by different molecular forms or different microscopic physical locations of the two isotopes are less than 30% in this method. It is found that for samples in which these effects are minimized, the capability of the instrument is such that uranium concentrations can be determined successfully to better than 10% accuracy.
Politeness Strategies and Second Language Acquisition.

The two studies reported here investigated the notion of politeness as perceived by native speakers of English and advanced learners of English. The questions which concerned us included: (1) Are native speakers of English really aware of the varying degree of politeness conveyed by a given English sentence?; (2) Is there a high correlation between native speakers of English and advanced learners of English in their politeness judgements?; (3) Do native speakers of English really use different politeness strategies in different situations?; (4) Is there a high correlation between native and nonnative speakers of English in the use of politeness strategies? From a theoretical point of view, Study I was concerned with Lakoff's (1973b) claim that politeness increases with decreasing imposition; Study II was concerned with the distance-politeness hypothesis which predicts that one will use polite strategies in situations where he perceives himself as psychological and/or socially distant from his addresee. From a pedagogical point of view, the comparison of the two studies here suggested that the learner's ability of judging politeness in the target language does not necessarily mean that he can use politeness strategies appropriately in actual communication situations.
SENSITIZATION OF ANOXIC BACTERIA TO X-RAYS BY DI-T-BUTYL NITROXIDE AND ANALOGUES.

FEW compounds are known to sensitize living organisms to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation. Since those that do include oxygen1 and nitric oxide2,3, both of which are stable free radicals, it was considered of interest to see if certain substituted nitroxides4, which are water-soluble stable free radicals, would exhibit similar properties.
A Diffusive Anomaly of Water in Aqueous Sodium Chloride Solutions at Low Temperatures

Molecular dynamics simulations are presented for the self-diffusion coefficient of water in aqueous sodium chloride solutions. At temperatures above the freezing point of pure water, the self-diffusion coefficient is a monotonically decreasing function of salt concentration. Below the freezing point of pure water, however, the self-diffusion coefficient is a non-monotonic function of salt concentration, showing a maximum at approximately one molal salt. This suggests that sodium chloride, which is considered a structure-making salt at room temperature, becomes a structure-breaking salt at low temperatures. A qualitative understanding of this effect can be obtained by considering the effect of ions on the residence time of water molecules near other water molecules. A consideration of the freezing point depression of aqueous sodium chloride solutions suggests that the self-diffusion coefficient of water in supercooled sodium chloride solutions is always higher than that in pure (supercooled) water at the same temperature.
New developments in the pathogenesis of articular cartilage calcification

Articular cartilage, unlike growth plate cartilage, is specialized to not undergo matrix calcification. However, articular cartilage mineralization, in the form of CPPD (chondrocalcinosis) and hydroxyapatite crystals, frequently accompanies and complicates osteoarthritis and aging. Recent work has demonstrated that certain features of growth cartilage development and mineralization are shared in degenerative cartilage. These include chondrocyte proliferation, hypertrophy and increased apoptosis. Moreover, parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP), one of the central mediators of endochondral development, is abundant in osteoarthritic cartilage. Cartilage PPi elaboration and cytosolic transglutaminase activity are markedly increased with aging. Only recently have the molecular identities been defined for the chondrocyte inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi)-generating isozymes of the phosphodiesterase nucleotide pyrophosphatase (PDNP) family (including PC-1 and B10), and for transglutaminase in articular cartilage. This review focuses on the evolving understanding of the potential roles, in articular cartilage calcification, of PTHrP, PDNP family enzymes, PPi metabolism, and transglutaminase activity.
Overexpression of actin in AcMNPV-infected cells interferes with polyhedrin synthesis and polyhedra formation.

Autographa californica M nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) terminates host protein synthesis during the late stage of infection, at approximately 14 hr postinfection (hpi). If infection takes place in the presence of cytochalasin D (CD), however, host actin synthesis is transiently stimulated and continues to be synthesized until approximately 30 hpi, and the hyperexpression of polyhedrin is delayed from about 20 hpi until about 36 hpi (S. N. Talhouk and L. E. Volkman, Virology 182, 626-634, 1991; N. Wei and L. E. Volkman, Virology 191, 42-48, 1992). To investigate whether these events are causally related, i.e., whether actin synthesis negatively affects polyhedrin synthesis, we constructed recombinant viruses that expressed actin at various levels during infection. We found that the expression of actin by a strong promoter interfered with polyhedrin synthesis at a posttranscriptional level. It also interfered with polyhedra formation, which may suggest a mechanism for the observed paucity of polyhedra in infected midgut columnar epithelial cells in vivo.
Psychometric Properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale: Comparison to the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory

This study explored the convergent and discriminant validity of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), a new measure of anxiety symptoms for older adults. The GAS, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administered to 117 community-dwelling, predominantly White, older adults (62% female; M age = 74.75 years, range = 60 − 89 years; M years of education = 14.97). Scores on the GAS were strongly associated with scores on measures of anxiety and depression, but not associated with scores on measures of reading ability or processing speed. The GAS possesses strong convergent and discriminant validity and shows promise as a measure of anxiety in older adults.
Coherent terahertz and x-ray spectroscopy of a laser-driven plasma in a copper target

Coherent TeraHertz emission and hard x-ray emission from a laser-driven plasma in a solid target are measured simultaneously revealing a complementary picture of the ultrafast plasma.
Space-time decay for solutions of wave equations

Abstract The L 6 norm in space-time of a solution of the Klein-Gordon equation in two space-time dimensions is bounded relative to the Lorentz-invariant Hilbert space norm; the L p norms for p ≥ 6 are bounded relative to certain similar larger Hilbert space norms, including the energy norm.
Transient Effects And Pump Depletion In Stimulated Raman Scattering

Summary We have formulated a theory of transient Raman scattering allowing for a finite decay time of the off -diagonal matrix element. A simplified version of the theory was used to analyze experiments on SRS from para -H. In this version the relative phase between pump and Stokes field was assumed to be zero and Stark shift effects were neglected. Effects ofdetuning were modelled by a plane wave gain formula with effective gain length and beam intensity. The model gave good agreement between the theoretical and experimental pulse shapes, which show marked deviations from the steady state results.AcknowledgmentsThe authors wish to acknowledge many valuable conversations with G. P. Arnold and N. A. Kurnit as well as the expert technical assistance of S. Reading, L. Haynes, and W. Watson. Also N. A. Kurnit gave of his time to read and criticize this manuscript.References 1. Y. R. Shen and N. Bloembergen, "Theory of Stimulated Brillouin and Raman Scatter- ing," Phys. Rev., Vol. 137, No. 6A, pp. 1787 -1805, 1965.
P-68: Electrical Measurements of Charge Migrations In Liquid Crystal displays

Residual current measurement and quasi-static ramp I-V method are introduced to investigate the charge migration processes in LCDs. Compared with the earlier proposed residual voltage measurement, these two methods are less environmentally sensitive, and thus, are more related to the internal charge migration process. Quasi-static ramp I-V measurement yields self-consistent parameter extraction compared to direct residual current measurements. Measurement results of real LCD samples are illustrated and discussed.
Alloimmunity to human endothelial cells derived from cord blood progenitors.

There is considerable interest in exploiting circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) for therapeutic organ repair. Such cells may be differentiated into endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro and then expanded for use in tissue engineering. Vessel-derived ECs are variably immunogenic, depending upon tissue source, and it is unknown whether ECs derived from cord blood EPCs are able to initiate an allogeneic response. In this study, we compare the phenotype and alloantigenicity of human cord blood progenitor cell-derived ECs with HUVECs isolated from the same donors. Human cord blood progenitor cell-derived ECs are very similar to HUVECs in the expression of proteins relevant for alloimmunity, including MHC molecules, costimulators, adhesion molecules, cytokines, chemokines, and IDO, and in their ability to initiate allogeneic CD4 + and CD8 + memory T cell responses in vitro and in vivo. These findings have significant implications for the use of cord blood EPCs in regenerative medicine or tissue engineering.
Antigenic Analysis Of Current Wild Type And Vaccine Strains Of Measles Virus

The antigenic properties of vaccine and wild type strains of measles virus were compared. Serum specimens from vaccinated persons, persons infected during the prevaccine era, or mice experimentally vaccinated with the hemagglutinin (H) protein from vaccine virus neutralized vaccine virus and a wild type measles virus from 1989 equally well. In contrast, serum specimens from patients with recent measles virus infection and mice experimentally vaccinated with the H protein from the wild type virus from 1989 neutralized wild type virus with titers 4-8 times higher than those to vaccine virus. Several H protein-specific monoclonal antibodies could differentially recognize vaccine or wild type virus. These data show that the H proteins of the recent wild type viruses contain both conserved and new or modified antigenic determinants and are consistent with previous studies that described genetic drift in the H proteins of recent wild type viruses.
DIZOCILPINE (MK-801) PREVENTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SENSITIZATION TO ETHANOL IN DBA/2J MICE

DBA/2J mice repeatedly exposed to ethanol (2 g/kg, i.p. every 48 h for 8 days) exhibit sensitization to the locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol. Pretreatment with the NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine (0.2-0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) completely prevents the development of sensitization. Thus, NMDA receptors appear to play an important role in behavioural sensitization to ethanol.
Cost-effectiveness of practice-initiated quality improvement for depression: results of a randomized controlled trial.

ContextDepression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, but treatment rates in primary care are low.ObjectiveTo determine the cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective of 2 quality improvement (QI) interventions to improve treatment of depression in primary care and their effects on patient employment.DesignGroup-level randomized controlled trial conducted June 1996 to July 1999.SettingForty-six primary care clinics in 6 community-based managed care organizations.ParticipantsOne hundred eighty-one primary care clinicians and 1356 patients with positive screening results for current depression.InterventionsMatched practices were randomly assigned to provide usual care (n = 443 patients) or to 1 of 2 QI interventions offering training to practice leaders and nurses, enhanced educational and assessment resources, and either nurses for medication follow-up (QI-meds; n = 424 patients) or trained local psychotherapists (QI-therapy; n = 489). Practices could flexibly implement the interventions, which did not assign type of treatment.Main Outcome MeasuresTotal health care costs, costs per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), days with depression burden, and employment over 24 months, compared between usual care and the 2 interventions.ResultsRelative to usual care, average health care costs increased $419 (11%) in QI-meds (P = .35) and $485 (13%) in QI-therapy (P = .28); estimated costs per QALY gained were between $15 331 and $36 467 for QI-meds and $9478 and $21 478 for QI-therapy; and patients had 25 (P = .19) and 47 (P = .01) fewer days with depression burden and were employed 17.9 (P = .07) and 20.9 (P = .03) more days during the study period.ConclusionsSocietal cost-effectiveness of practice-initiated QI efforts for depression is comparable with that of accepted medical interventions. The intervention effects on employment may be of particular interest to employers and other stakeholders.
Redox control of phosphorus pools in Hawaiian montane forest soils

Soil phosphorus pools vary due to changes in the stability of organic matter and secondary Fe and Al oxyhydroxides and non-crystalline aluminosilicate minerals along a climosequence sampled from 85 to 505 cm of annual rainfall in Hawaii. Observations of soil morphology and monthly Eh measurements demonstrate that as annual rainfall increased so does the intensity and duration of reducing conditions in these upland soils. With increased reduction, total phosphorus in the soil declined by nearly two thirds. Modified Hedley sequential fractionation of soil phosphorus provides a measure of plant available and recalcitrant forms of mineral and organically bound phosphorus. With increased rainfall, recalcitrant inorganic phosphorus pools decline in parallel with the dissolution of iron oxyhydroxides and amorphous aluminosilicate minerals. In contrast, organically bound phosphorus increases and accounts for a greater fraction of total phosphorus. At the wettest sites, accumulation of organic phosphorus helps to limit overall phosphorus loss. Loss of inorganic phosphorus sorbers starts in soils with moderate reduction whereas the anaerobically driven accumulation of organic matter requires continuously low Eh values. Therefore, in the intermediate rainfall zone where fluctuating oxidizing and reducing conditions prevail, loss of inorganically bound phosphorus is not offset by organically bound phosphorus accumulation. The interaction of these two opposing processes produces a non-linear trend in total phosphorus content.
Simultaneous Silicone Intubation Through the Osteotomy and the Nasolacrimal Duct During Dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose: To determine whether simultaneous silicone intubation of the osteotomy and the nasolacrimal duct is advantageous in some dacryocystorhinostomy procedures. Methods: Silicone tubing was placed through both the osteotomy and the nasolacrimal duct in two patients who underwent dacryocystorhinostomy for dacryolithiasis. Results: Postoperatively, signs and symptoms of nasolacrimal obstruction were relieved, and lacrimal irrigation confirmed anatomic patency of the tear drainage canals in both cases. Conclusions: Simultaneous intubation of the osteotomy and the nasolacrimal duct prevents prolapse of the silicone stent and may decrease the frequency of postoperative scarring.
Channel-Robust Classifiers

A key assumption underlying traditional supervised learning algorithms is that labeled examples used to train a classifier are drawn i.i.d. from the same distribution as test samples. This assumption is violated when classifying a test sample whose statistics differ from the training samples because the test signal is the output of a noisy linear time-invariant system, e.g., from channel propagation or filtering. We assume that the channel impulse response is unknown, but can be modeled as a random channel with finite first and second-order statistics that can be estimated from sample impulse responses. We present two kernels, the expected and projected RBF kernels, that account for the stochastic channel. Compared to the strategy of virtual examples, an SVM trained with the proposed kernels requires dramatically less training time, and may perform better in practice. We also extend the joint quadratic discriminant analysis (joint QDA) classifier, which also accounts for a stochastic channel, to a local version that reduces model bias. Results show the proposed methods achieve state-of-the-art performance and significantly faster training times.
The Pathologic Continuum of Diabetic Vascular Disease

Hyperglycemia can promote vascular complications by multiple mechanisms, with formation of advanced glycation end products and increased oxidative stress proposed to contribute to both macrovascular and microvascular complications. Many of the earliest pathologic responses to hyperglycemia are manifest in the vascular cells that directly encounter elevated blood glucose levels. In the macrovasculature, these include endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. In the microvasculature, these include endothelial cells, pericytes (in retinopathy), and podocytes (in renal disease). Additionally, neovascularization arising from the vasa vasorum may promote atherosclerotic plaque progression and contribute to plaque rupture, thereby interconnecting macroangiopathy and microangiopathy.
Active objective lens assembly for far-field super-resolution imaging via optical gain

The performance of an optical imaging system is fundamentally limited by the wave nature of light. More specifically the lateral resolution of an image has traditionally been dictated by Abbe's limit, to be approximately one-half of the wavelength. The pursuit of exceeding this limit is a growing interest in several research areas. The goal of these pursuits will be to achieve super-resolution imaging, as in breaking what have long been thought of as insurmountable restrictions. There have been several methods proposed to overcome such limits. Some of the aforementioned methods include negative refractive index materials and Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM). This paper highlights a novel approach to achieving super-resolution imaging. In this case the means to obtaining super-resolution imaging will be through optical gain by using an active objective lens. This gain will allow for the retention of spatial frequencies beyond Abbes limit, by the conversion of evanescent waves into sustainable propagating waves.
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Macrophage Activation and Signal Transduction in the Absence of Src-Family Kinases Hck, Fgr, and Lyn

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulates immune responses by interacting with the membrane receptor CD14 to induce the generation of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6. The mechanism by which the LPS signal is transduced from the extracellular environment to the nuclear compartment is not well defined. Recently, an increasing amount of evidence suggests that protein tyrosine kinases especially the Src-family kinases Hck, Fgr, and Lyn, play important roles in LPS signaling. To directly address the physiological function of Hck, Fgr and Lyn in LPS signaling, a genetic approach has been used to generate null mutations of all three kinases in a single mouse strain. hck-/-fgr-/-lyn-/- mice are moderately healthy and fertile; macrophages cultured from these mice express normal levels of CD14 and no other Src-family kinases were detected. Although the total protein phosphotyrosine level is greatly reduced in macrophages derived from hck-/-fgr-/-lyn-/- mice, functional analyses indicate that both elicited peritoneal (PEMs) and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from triple mutant mice have no major defects in LPS-induced activation. Nitrite production and cytokine secretion (IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) are normal or even enhanced in hck-/-fgr-/-lyn-/- macrophages after LPS stimulation. The development of tumor cell cytotoxicity is normal in triple mutant BMDMs and only partially impaired in PEMs after LPS stimulation. Furthermore, the activation of the ERK1/2 and JNK kinases, as well as the transcription factor NF-kappaB, are the same in normal and mutant macrophages after LPS stimulation. The current study provides direct evidence that three Src-family kinases Hck, Fgr, and Lyn are not obligatory for LPS-initiated signal transduction.
Establishing a Fracture Liaison Service: An Orthopaedic Approach

➤ Bone health evaluations should be incorporated into care pathways for fragility fractures in all patients who are fifty years of age or older.➤ A fracture liaison service (FLS) is an established and proven method to achieve recommended standards of care for fragility fractures, including intervention for osteoporosis, secondary fracture prevention, and bone health evaluation.➤ The FLS facilitates patient care by automatically including all patients with a fragility fracture within a health-care system to provide them with the intervention that they need and to prevent avoidable fracture-related complications or readmissions.➤ An FLS functions with three key personnel: the FLS coordinator (usually an advanced practice provider), a physician champion (usually an orthopaedic surgeon), and a nurse navigator.
Pharmacotherapy for Adults With Alcohol Use Disorders in Outpatient Settings A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

prevent return to any drinking for acamprosate was 12 (95% CI, 8 to 26; risk difference [RD], −0.09; 95% CI, −0.14 to −0.04) and was 20 (95% CI, 11 to 500; RD, −0.05; 95% CI, −0.10 to −0.002) for oral naltrexone (50 mg/d). The NNT to prevent return to heavy drinking was 12 (95% CI, 8 to 26; RD −0.09; 95% CI, −0.13 to −0.04) for oral naltrexone (50 mg/d). Meta-analyses of trials comparing acamprosate to naltrexone found no statistically significant difference between them for return to any drinking (RD, 0.02; 95% CI, −0.03 to 0.08) or heavy drinking (RD, 0.01; 95% CI, −0.05 to 0.06). For injectable naltrexone, meta-analyses found no association with return to any drinking (RD, −0.04; 95% CI, −0.10 to 0.03) or heavy drinking (RD, −0.01; 95% CI, −0.14 to 0.13) but found an association with reduction in heavy drinking days (weighted mean difference [WMD], −4.6%; 95% CI, −8.5% to −0.56%). Among medications used off-label, moderate evidence supports an association with improvement in some consumption outcomes for nalmefene (heavy drinking days per month: WMD, −2.0; 95% CI, −3.0 to −1.0; drinks per drinking day: WMD, −1.02; 95% CI, −1.77 to −0.28) and topiramate (% heavy drinking days: WMD, −9.0%; 95% CI, −15.3% to −2.7%; drinks per drinking day: WMD, −1.0; 95% CI, −1.6 to −0.48). For naltrexone and nalmefene, NNHs for withdrawal from trials due to adverse events were 48 (95% CI, 30 to 112) and 12 (95% CI, 7 to 50), respectively; risk was not significantly increased for acamprosate or topiramate. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Both acamprosate and oral naltrexone were associated with reduction in return to drinking. When directly compared with one another, no significant differences were found between acamprosate and naltrexone for controlling alcohol consumption. Factors such as dosing frequency, potential adverse events, and availability of treatments may guide medication choice.
Wafer-scale processed, low impedance, neural arrays with varying length microelectrodes

Advances in silicon micromachining have lead to development of sophisticated neural interfaces such as the Utah Slant Electrode Array (USEA). The unique architecture of the USEA comprises of electrodes which increase in length in one direction, while being constant in length in the other. When implanted into a peripheral nerve, the tips of the electrodes penetrate nerve fascicles, and are close to discrete populations of nerve fibers. Although the USEA has been widely used in neural prosthesis the current processes used to fabricate USEA impose limitations in the tolerances of the electrode array geometry. This paper presents a wafer scale fabrication method for USEA which offers high precision and control in electrode geometry and their electrical characteristics.
Influence of retrograde cerebral perfusion during aortic arch procedures.

Abstract Background . Recent reports suggest dramatic improvement in outcome using retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) during operations on the arch; however, most investigators have compared contemporary results with historic controls. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of RCP within the same patient population and time period. Methods . From 1996 to 2000, 72 consecutive patients underwent an aortic arch procedure using hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) (31 acute dissection or rupture, 41 chronic dissection or aneurysm). Supplemental RCP was used in 36 patients, whereas 36 patients had HCA alone. The groups were similar in age, emergent status, and cardiopulmonary bypass time ( p > 0.08), but HCA time was higher with RCP (40 ± 15 minutes versus 29 ± 14 minutes; p Results . Operative mortality was 10% ± 4% (±70% confidence limit), and adverse outcomes (death or cerebrovascular accident) occurred in 14% ± 4%, but there was no difference between HCA alone (8% ± 5%, 14% ± 6%) and HCA with RCP (11% ± 5%, 14% ± 6%) ( p > 0.73). The incidence of transient neurologic dysfunction was also similar (HCA alone, 11% ± 5%; HCA with RCP, 17% ± 6%; p > 0.73). Multivariate risk factors for mortality included emergency operation and HCA time ( p p p Conclusions . Supplemental RCP during HCA did not decrease mortality or neurologic complications. Retrograde rewarming through the femoral artery after completion of the distal anastomosis increased transient neurologic dysfunction. Therefore, RCP remains optional, but reperfusion should be antegrade to improve neurologic recovery.
On the foundations of analytical dynamics

In this paper, we present the general structure for the explicit equations of motion for general mechanical systems subjected to holonomic and non-holonomic equality constraints. The constraints considered here need not satisfy D'Alembert's principle, and our derivation is not based on the principle of virtual work. Therefore, the equations obtained here have general applicability. They show that in the presence of such constraints, the constraint force acting on the system can always be viewed as made up of the sum of two components. The explicit form for each of the two components is provided. The first of these components is the constraint force that would have existed, were all the constraints ideal; the second is caused by the non-ideal nature of the constraints, and though it needs specification by the mechanician and depends on the particular situation at hand, this component nonetheless has a specific form. The paper also provides a generalized form of D'Alembert's principle which is then used to obtain the explicit equations of motion for constrained mechanical systems where the constraints may be non-ideal. We show an example where the new general, explicit equations of motion obtained in this paper are used to directly write the equations of motion for describing a non-holonomically constrained system with non-ideal constraints. Lastly, we provide a geometrical description of constrained motion and thereby exhibit the simplicity with which Nature seems to operate.
Gas permeability analysis of photo-cured cyclohexyl-substituted polysiloxane films

A photo-cured cyclohexyl-substituted polysiloxane (PDCHS) film was prepared and compared with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the determination of permeability coefficients using various penetrants (H2, N2, O2, CO2, CH4, C3H6, and C3H8). Penetrant sorption isotherms and local effective diffusion coefficients as a function of local penetrant concentration were also determined. The crosslink density of the films was measured via dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and was found to be 6.46 × 104 mol/m3 for PDMS and 1.82 × 103 mol/m3 for PDCHS. Photo-differential scanning calorimetry was used to calculate percent conversion under the conditions used for curing and was found to be (99.6 ± 0.3)% for PDMS and (98.4 ± 0.3)% for PDCHS. When cured, the PDCHS films had a lower crosslink density and lower permeance. It was postulated that the cycloaliphatic substitution along the polysiloxane backbone may not have full rotational ability affording closer intermolecular interactions, thus reducing the available free volume. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:2343–2351, 2006
Ion Selectivity in Membrane Permeation

A basic function of cell membranes is discrimination in their permeability to such closely related ions as Na+ and K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, or Cl− and I−. This ionic discrimination underlies such basic cellular phenomena as the generation of resting potentials, action potentials, receptor potentials, transmitter release, active transport, and enzyme activation. The present chapter has two purposes: to compare the ion discrimination observed for the passive permeation of cell membranes with that induced in artificial lipid bilayer membranes by certain ion translocators*; and to examine the most salient theories and approaches toward determining the molecular origins of ionic discrimination in membrane transport.
An experimental and numerical study of particle nucleation and growth during low-pressure thermal decomposition of silane

This paper discusses an experimental and numerical study of the nucleation and growth of particles during low-pressure (∼1:0 Torr) thermal decomposition of silane (SiH4). A Particle Beam Mass Spectrometer was used to measure particle size distributions in a parallel-plate showerhead-type semiconductor reactor. An aerosol d ynamics moment-type formulation coupledwith a chemically reacting 8uid8ow mod el was usedto predict particle concentration, size, and transport in the reactor. Particle nucleation kinetics via a sequence of chemical clustering reactions among silicon hydride molecular clusters, growth by heterogeneous chemical reactions on particle surfaces andcoagulation, andtransport by convection, d i:usion, andthermophoresis were included in the model. The e:ect of pressure, temperature, 8ow residence time, carrier gas, and silane concentration were examined under conditions typically used for low-pressure (∼1 Torr) thermal chemical vapor deposition of polysilicon. The numerical simulations predict that several pathways involving linear and polycyclic silicon hydride molecules result in formation of particle “nuclei,” which subsequently grow by heterogeneous reactions on the particle surfaces. The model is in good agreement with observations for the pressure andtemperature at which particle formation begins, particle sizes andgrowth rates, andrelative particle concentrations at various process conditions. A simpli=ed, computationally inexpensive, quasi-coupled modeling approach is suggested as an engineering tool for process equipment design and contamination control during low-pressure thermal silicon deposition. ? 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Do Satisfied Customers Buy More? Examining Moderating Influences in a Retailing Context:

In this research, the authors propose that the relationship between satisfaction and repurchase behavior is moderated by customer, relational, and marketplace characteristics. They further hypothesize that the moderating effects emerge if repurchase is measured as objective behavior but not if it is measured as repurchase intentions. To test for systematic differences in effects, the authors estimate identical models using both longitudinal repurchase measures and survey measures as the dependent variable. The results suggest that the relationship between customer satisfaction and repurchase behavior is contingent on the moderating effects of convenience, competitive intensity, customer involvement, and household income. As the authors predicted, the results are significantly different for self-reported repurchase intentions and objective repurchase behavior. The conceptual framework and empirical findings reinforce the importance of moderating influences and offer new insights that enhance the understanding of what drives repurchase behavior.