cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intranasal drug-induced fungal rhinopharyngitis.

Background: Intranasal drug abuse has long been recognized as an etiology of sinonasal pathology. However, the intranasal use of prescription and nonprescription drugs has surpassed the use of illicit drugs, and the pattern of presentation and required therapeutic intervention appears to be different. We report on our experience with these patients, along with a successful treatment algorithm for this disease process. Methods: Retrospective chart review of 9 consecutive patients who presented with rhinopharyngitis and a history of intranasal opioid and/or acetaminophen abuse, from 2007 to 2010, at a tertiary referral center. Results: Nine patients were found to have abused intranasal hydrocodone/acetaminophen, oxycodone/aceta-minophen, or acetaminophen and were diagnosed with rhinopharyngitis. Sinonasal pain and odynophagia were the most common chief complaints and 8 of 9 patients reported previous antibiotic failures. On endoscopy, all patients exhibited a thick, white, exudative process involving the nasal septum and lateral nasal mucosa. Five of 9 exhibited large septal perforations. Seven of 9 exhibited white, exudative pharyngitis. Seven of 9 patients had identifiable fungal organisms on culture, including 5 with species of Candida and 3 with Aspergillus. Two patients grew Staphylococcus aureus. Five patients were compliant with follow up. All 5 showed significant improvement in symptoms and examination, following treatment with oral and topical antifungal therapy and nasal irrigations. Conclusion: Intranasal opioid and acetaminophen abuse is often associated with the development of fungal rhinopharyngitis. Recognizing that this process is primarily fungal in origin is paramount to successful treatment, as most patients respond well to antifungal therapy when compliant with treatment. © 2012 ARS-AAOA, LLC.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Chicken Crop—the Avian Rumen?

Abstract The mucosal surface of the chicken crop was examined with the scanning electron microscope. The proximal region in relation to the esophagus differed markedly from the distal region. The region nearest the esophagus showed a slightly folded surface with a very dense surface bacterial population while the region located in the apical region of the diverticulum was smoother with numerous sloughing cells and a sparse bacterial population. A potential for significant microbiological fermentation and digestion of feed in the crop is indicated.
Multi-policy posterior sampling for restless Markov bandits

This paper considers Multi-Arms Restless Bandits problem, where each arm have time varying rewards generated from unknown two-states discrete time Markov process. Each chain is assumed irreducible, aperiodic, and non-reactive to agent actions. Optimal solution or constant value approximation to all instances of Restless Bandits problem does not exist; in fact it has been proven to be intractable even if all parameters were deterministic. A polynomial time algorithm is proposed that learns transitional parameters for each arm and selects the perceived optimal policy from a set of predefined policies using a beliefs or probability distributions. More precisely, the proposed algorithm compares mean rewards of consistently staying with best perceived arm to means rewards of Myopically accessed combination of arms using randomized probability matching or better known as Thompson Sampling. Empirical evaluations are presented at the end of the paper that show an improve performance in all instances of the problem compared to other existing algorithms except a small set of instances where arms are similar and bursty.
Newer approaches to the management of multiple myeloma

Patients with multiple myeloma must be distinguished from those with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering multiple myeloma. Therapy should be reserved for patients with active or symptomatic multiple myeloma. The pertinent literature on the diagnosis of multiple myeloma, prognostic factors, chemotherapy, and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, as well as autologous peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cells for rescue, was reviewed. The two most powerful prognostic factors for multiple myeloma are the bone marrow plasma cell labeling index and the β 2 -microglobulin level. Chemotherapy is the preferred initial treatment for overt, symptomatic multiple myeloma
A Longitudinal Assessment of Online Privacy Notice Readability

Abstract This study evaluates the readability of a set of 312 online privacy notices across two periods and finds that the readability has declined and notices have grown in length over the period. The authors assess these findings against the public policy backdrop and make recommendations for improving current online privacy notices based on the study results.
The mechanical strength of polysilicon films: Part 2. Size effects associated with elliptical and circular perforations

Abstract A systematic study of failure initiation in small-scale specimens has been performed to assess the effect of size scale on “failure properties” by drawing on the classical analysis of elliptically perforated specimens. Limitations imposed by photolithography restricted the minimum radii of curvature of the specimen perforations to one micron. By varying the radius of curvature and the size of the ellipses, the effects of domain size and stress concentration amplitude could be assessed separately to the point where the size of individual grains (∼0.3 μm ) becomes important. The measurements demonstrate a strong influence of the domain size under elevated stress on the “failure strength” of MEMS scale specimens, while the amplitude, or the variation, of the stress concentration factor is less significant. In agreement with probabilistic considerations of failure, the “local failure strength” at the root of a notch clearly increases as the radius of curvature becomes smaller. Accordingly, the statistical scatter also increases with decreasing size of the (super)stressed domain. When the notch radius becomes as small as 1 μm the failure stress increases on average by a factor of two relative to the tension values derived from unnotched specimens. This effect becomes moderate for larger radii of curvature, up to a radius of 8 μm (25 times the grain size), for which the failure stress at the notch tip closely approaches the value of the tensile strength for un-notched tensile configurations. We deduce that standard tests, performed on micron-sized, non-perforated, tension specimens, provide conservative strength values for design purposes. In addition, a Weibull analysis shows for surface-micromachined specimens a dependence of the strength on the specimen length, rather than the surface area or volume, which implies that the sidewall geometry, dimensions and surface conditions can dominate the failure process.
An in vivo analysis of schwann cell programmed cell death in embryonic mice : the role of axons, glial growth factor, and the pro-apoptotic gene Bax

Building upon previous in vitro studies, the present investigation involves an in vivo examination of Schwann cell programmed cell death (PCD) and development in the brachial spinal ventral roots of embryonic mice. The period of Schwann cell PCD was found to occur between embryonic days (E) 11.5 and 18.5, which is in close coincidence with the PCD period of associated brachial motoneurons (E13.5-E18.5). Additionally, Schwann cells exhibited a peak in proliferation at E11.5, and differentiation from the precursor to the immature Schwann cell stage between E12.5 and E14.5. Axon-mediated Schwann cell survival was demonstrated in vivo by excitotoxic elimination of motoneurons and their axons, via NMDA treatment in utero. This treatment increased apoptotic Schwann cell death within degenerating ventral roots. Conversely, in utero co-treatment of glial growth factor (GGF) with NMDA resulted in decreased Schwann cell death, a finding which supports previous reports of the promotion of Schwann cell survival by GGF. Analysis of mice lacking Bax, a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, revealed that Schwann cell PCD occurred independently of Bax. However, owing to the lack of motoneuron PCD in Bax-knockout mice, and the corresponding increase in the number of ventral root axons, a decrease in Schwann cell PCD was observed during the normal period of motoneuron PCD. In conclusion, our findings regarding the regulation of Schwann cell development in vivo are consistent with the conclusions from in vitro studies, including a dependency on axons for survival and proliferation signals, timing of differentiation, and a dependency on GGF.
Hyperfine Structure in N via Electron Spin Resonance at 4 K

The N ion was produced in neon plasma and isolated in solid neon at 4 K. Its X-band electron-spin-resonance (ESR) spectrum was analyzed to yield the isotropic hyperfine interaction of 441 MHz with the 23Na (I = 3/2) nucleus. An approximate interpretation of this value points to considerable pσ character in the predominantly sσ wave function of the single valence electron in the ground 2 state.
Bayesian community-wide culture-independent microbial source tracking

Contamination is a critical issue in high-throughput metagenomic studies, yet progress toward a comprehensive solution has been limited. We present SourceTracker, a Bayesian approach to estimate the proportion of contaminants in a given community that come from possible source environments. We applied SourceTracker to microbial surveys from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), offices and molecular biology laboratories, and provide a database of known contaminants for future testing.
Measuring medication adherence: are missed doses reported more accurately then perfect adherence?

Self-reports overestimate adherence compared to more objective measures such as electronic monitoring. However, self-report is the most feasible method for clinical settings; therefore, it is impor...
Early injection of high-dose recombinant factor VIIa decreases blood loss and prolongs time from injury to death in experimental liver injury.

Background: Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is used for treatment of bleeding episodes in hemophilia patients who develop inhibitors to factors VIII and IX. We tested the hypothesis that administration of rFVIIa early after injury would decrease bleeding and prolong the time from injury to death after experimental hepatic trauma. Methods: Anesthetized swine were cannulated for blood sampling and hemodynamic monitoring. Avulsion of the left median lobe of the liver induced uncontrolled hemorrhage. After a 10% reduction in mean arterial pressure, animals (n = 8 per group) were blindly randomized to receive intravenous rFVIIa 180 μg/kg, rFVIIa 720 μg/kg, or placebo. Pathologic examination of brain, lung, kidney, heart, and small bowel was performed to assess intravascular thrombosis. Results: Mortality during the first hour was 50% (four of eight) in controls versus 0% with rFVIIa 720 μg/kg (p = 0.02, X 2 ). Blood loss was decreased in the rFVIIa 720 μg/kg group versus the placebo group (13.2 ± 5.5 mL/kg vs. 21.9 ± 7.7 mL/kg; p = 0.0223). Time from injury to death was significantly prolonged in the rFVIIa 720 μg/kg group compared with placebo (116 minutes vs. 8.5 ± 3.5 minutes; p = 0.02). No macro- or microthrombi in vital organs were identified on pathologic examination. Conclusion: Intravenous administration of high-dose rFVIIa early after induction of hemorrhage decreased bleeding and prolonged survival. No evidence of thrombosis in vital organs was observed.
Network Representation and Complex Systems

In this article, network science is discussed from a methodological perspective, and two central theses are defended. The first is that network science exploits the very properties that make a system complex. Rather than using idealization techniques to strip those properties away, as is standard practice in other areas of science, network science brings them to the fore, and uses them to furnish new forms of explanation. The second thesis is that network representations are particularly helpful in explaining the properties of non-decomposable systems. Where part-whole decomposition is not possible, network science provides a much-needed alternative method of compressing information about the behavior of complex systems, and does so without succumbing to problems associated with combinatorial explosion. The article concludes with a comparison between the uses of network representation analyzed in the main discussion, and an entirely distinct use of network representation that has recently been discussed in connection with mechanistic modeling.
PHYLOGENOMICS AND SECONDARY PLASTIDS: A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD1

Despite their importance to evolution, ecology, and cell biology, eukaryotes that acquired plastids through secondary endosymbiosis remain poorly studied from a genomic standpoint. Chromalveolata, a eukaryotic supergroup proposed to have descended from a heterotrophic eukaryote that acquired a red algal plastid by secondary endosymbiosis, includes four major lineages (alveolates, cryptophytes, haptophytes, and heterokonts). The chromalveolates exhibit remarkable diversity of cellular organization, and the available data suggest that they exhibit equal diversity in their genome organization. One of the most obvious differences in cellular organization is the retention of a highly reduced red algal nucleus in cryptophytes (also known as cryptomonads), but there are other major differences among chromalveolate lineages, including the loss of photosynthesis in multiple lineages. Although the hypothesis of chromalveolate monophyly is appealing, there is limited support for the hypothesis from nuclear genes, and questions have even been raised about the monophyly of chromalveolate plastids. Evidence for the chromalveolate hypothesis from large-scale nuclear data sets is reviewed, and alternative hypotheses are described. The potential for integrating information from chromalveolate genomics into functional genomics is described, emphasizing both the methodological challenges and the opportunities for future phylogenomic analyses of these groups.
Wireless Voice and Data Solutions for the Oil and Gas Industry

This is an industry paper. Full text not available. Please contact the authors for more information.
Autoradiographic localization of opiate receptors in rat brain. III. The telencephalon.

Opiate receptor distribution, determined by the autoradiographic localization of stereospecific [3Hdiprenorphine binding sites, was examined in the telencephalon. Areas showing very dense or dense localization of receptors included parts of the presubiculum and amygdala, patchy areas in the caudate-putamen and accumbens, the subfornical organ, the interstriatal nucleus of the striate terminalis and the anterior olfactory nucleus, pars externa. Lower densities were found in other parts of the hippocampal formation, the deeper part of the cerebral cortex, the entopenduncular nucleus, globus pallidus, nucleus triangularis septi and nucleus paratenialis. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the biochemical and physiological actions of opiates.
Student perceptions of organizational features in relationship to course ratings

Abstract Students' perceptions of the organization and importance of features of a course of instruction may differ from the instructors' and may influence their achievement and attitudinal reactions to the course. Two hundred twenty-nine undergraduates identified and rated the importance of organizational features of their courses, rated the course and instructor, and supplied six items of personal information about themselves. Their final course grades were also secured. A perceptual agreement score between students and instructors on course features and the importance of those features was calculated for each student. Agreement on the presence and importance of course features, along with other personal variables, were significant predictors of student achievement and ratings of courses.
Going to School with Friedrich Nietzsche: The Self in Service of Noble Culture

To understand Nietzsche’s pedagogy of self-overcoming and to determine its true import for contemporary education, it is necessary to understand Nietzsche’s view of the self that is to be overcome. Nevertheless, previous interpretations of self-overcoming in the journals of the philosophy of education have lacked serious engagement with the Nietzschean self. I devote the first part of this paper to redressing this neglect and arguing for a view of the Nietzschean self as an assemblage of ontologically basic affects which have been guided and modulated by the incorporation of perspectives. This interpretation has important consequences for self-overcoming, for it constrains the individual’s conscious agency to operations on perspectives. In light of this view I then advance a competing conception of self-overcoming and discuss some of the shortcomings of antecedent interpretations. Although previous interpreters have done their part to exhaust the characteristic actions of self-overcoming, I argue that they have either exaggerated the deleteriousness of social influence in the formation of the authentic individual, or else ignore it altogether. In the final part I reconsider the debate over the democratic or aristocratic nature of Nietzsche’s pedagogy of self-overcoming. Interestingly, self-overcoming cannot be labeled strictly as either, and out of this ambiguity grows the role of the school as an agent of cultural transformation.
“Isn't There Anything More You Can Do?”: When Empathic Statements Work, and When They Don't

Abstract The query, “Isn't there anything more you can do?” represents a classic informational question with an emotional subtext. In our previous work we have emphasized the value of noticing the emotional cue implicit in this question, and responding with an empathic statement. Yet responding explicitly to patients' emotions is not the best initial communication strategy for all patients. In this paper we discuss four different opening communication strategies—verbalize empathy, exchange information, contain chaos, respect searching—for patients who ask, “Isn't there anything more you can do?”
Long-distance dispersal of tree seeds by wind

Some mechanisms that promote long-distance dispersal of tree seeds by wind are explored. Winged seeds must be lifted above the canopy by updrafts to have a chance of further dispersal in high velocity horizontal winds aloft or in landscape-scale convection cells. Shear-induced turbulent eddies of a scale up to one-third of canopy height provide a lifting mechanism. Preliminary data suggest that all seeds of a given species may be viable candidates for uplift and long-distance dispersal, despite the evidence that slow-falling seeds are dispersed farther under any given wind conditions. Turbulence is argued more often and more extensively to advance long-distance dispersal than to retard it. Seeds may take advantage of ‘Bernoulli sailing’ to move with faster than average winds. Elasticity of branches and trees may play a role in regulating the release of seeds into unusually favorable winds. Dispersal is at least biphasic, and the study of long-distance dispersal calls for mixed models and mixed methods of gathering data.
An efficient resistance sensitivity extraction algorithm for conductors of arbitrary shapes

Due to technology scaling, integrated circuit manufacturing techniques are producing structures with large variabilities in their dimensions. To guarantee high yield, the manufactured structures must have the proper electrical characteristics despite such geometrical variations. For a designer, this means extracting the electrical characteristics of a whole family of structure realizations in order to guarantee that they all satisfy the required electrical characteristics. Sensitivity extraction provides an efficient algorithm to extract all realizations concurrently. This paper presents a complete framework for efficient resistance sensitivity extraction. The framework is based on both the finite element method (FEM) for resistance extraction and the adjoint method for sensitivity analysis. FEM enables the calculation of resistances of interconnects of arbitrary shapes, while the adjoint method enables sensitivity calculation in a computational complexity that is independent of the number of varying parameters. The accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm are demonstrated on a variety of complex examples.
The Rhetorical Dynamics of Gender Harassment On-Line

This article compares two extended interactions that took place recently on the Internet, one from a recreational Internet Relay Chat (IRC)channel, and the other from an academic listserv discussion group. The two interactions exhibit similar gender dynamics, which can be characterized as harassment of female by male participants. This harassment takes different forms, in keeping with the possibilities inherent in the two modes of computer-mediated communication. Whereas female participants on IRC are kicked off the channel, in the discussion group harassers must rely exclusively on language to intimidate and silence. This "rhetoric of harassment" crucially invokes libertarian principles of freedom of expression, constructing women's resistance as "censorship." A rhetorical analysis of the two harassment episodes thus sheds light on the means used to construct and maintain asymmetrical gender and power dynamics in different modes of CMC.
Efficient design of event-related fMRI experiments using M-sequences.

Rapid event-related fMRI (erfMRI) allows estimation of the shape of hemodynamic responses (HDR) associated with transient brain activation evoked by various sensory, motor, and cognitive events. Choosing a sequence of events that maximizes efficiency of estimating the HDR is essential for conducting event-related brain imaging experiments, since increasing efficiency is essentially equivalent to reducing scanning time or increasing the strength of the principal magnetic field. The efficiency of an erfMRI design depends critically on the temporal arrangement of the sequence of events and the noise in the fMRI signal. We introduce to erfMRI a simple method for generating efficient event sequences based on maximum-length shift register sequences, or m-sequences. We show that under the assumption of white uncorrelated MRI noise, efficiency of erfMRI experimental designs that employ m-sequences exceeds efficiency of the best randomly generated sequences. This is true for single and multiple event type experiments, which allow either parallel events (overlapping events design) or designs in which only one event occurs at a time (nonoverlapping events design). HDR estimation efficiency afforded by m-sequences grows with the number of event types, and is greatest when event sequences are relatively short, albeit within commonly used scan times (i.e., 63-255 total events per scan). The improvement in efficiency, however, comes at a cost of constraints imposed by m-sequence generation rules, such as predetermined sequence lengths; for nonoverlapping events design m-sequence-based designs are not available for all possible numbers of event types. Nevertheless, designs that are available with m-sequences cover a large subset of commonly used erfMRI experimental designs. Under conditions of characteristic time-correlated fMRI noise, randomly generated sequences may yield efficiencies that exceed those afforded by m-sequences for single event-type designs, since in this case one can generate random sequences that partially decorrelate MRI noise by chance. Our simulations suggest that for designs of realistic sequence lengths that use more than one event type, m-sequence based designs tend to outperform random designs, thus making the knowledge of noise inessential. Finally, within an r-th order m-sequence (generated by a shift register of length r) all possible combinations of subsequences of length r occur, and thus these subsequences are exactly counterbalanced. This property is essential for minimizing effects of psychological and neuronal adaptation and expectation.
Who You Know vs. What You Know: The Impact of Social Position and Knowledge on Team Performance

Organizational behavior theories generally agree that human capital is critical to teams and organizations, but little guidance exists on the extent to which such theories accurately explain the relative contributions of individual actors to overall performance. Using newly created network measures and simulations based on data obtained from a software development firm, we investigate the relative effectiveness of social network theory and resource dependency theory as predictors of individuals' contributions to team performance. Our results indicate that individual impacts on team performance are more closely associated with knowledge and task dimensions than with social network structure. Furthermore, given that knowledge may be assessed a priori, these factors provide useful guidance for structuring teams and predicting team performance.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING OF DECREASES IN HUMAN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE

Decrease in human systolic blood pressure of 4.35 mm Hg (range: 0 to 12 mm Hg) were classically conditioned in normal and hypertensive subjects using a delayed conditioning paradigm in which a 30-sec auditory stimulus (the conditioned stimulus) was followed immediately by tilting the subject 15degrees head-down to elicit small decreases in blood pressure. Conditioning occurred within five trials. A control group demonstrated that sensitization of the reflex by repeated tilting could not account for the blood-pressure decreases associated with the conditioned stimulus in experimental subjects.
Interpreting Lung Function Data Using 80% Predicted and Fixed Thresholds Identifies Patients at Increased Risk of Mortality

Background The GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) stages for COPD use a fixed ratio of the postbronchodilator FEV 1 /FVC ratio of 0.70 as a threshold to define obstruction. Others advocate using the lower limit of normal (LLN) for the FEV 1 /FVC ratio, FEV 1 , and FVC to define abnormality. This study investigated mortality in a representative sample of the US adult population with COPD by comparing abnormality determined using GOLD criteria to that determined using LLN criteria. Methods We used baseline data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and follow-up mortality data. We classified subjects as obstructed, restricted, or normal based on GOLD vs LLN criteria and used Cox proportional hazards models to determine the relation between lung function impairment and mortality, adjusting for covariates. Results The study sample included 13,847 subjects, of whom 3,774 died during the follow-up period. Of subjects classified as obstructed and restricted using GOLD criteria, 20.9% and 18.0%, respectively, were classified as normal using LLN criteria. Compared with people with normal lung function, mortality was increased in the obstructed (hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.21-1.86) and restricted (hazard ratio, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.58-2.39) subjects classified as normal using the LLN. Conclusions In the nationally representative Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, subjects classified as normal using LLN criteria but obstructed or restricted using GOLD criteria have a higher risk of mortality.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel benzothiazole and triazole analogs as falcipain inhibitors

We describe the design, combinatorial library synthesis and biological evaluation of compounds with benzothiazole and triazole cores as inhibitors of falcipain, cysteine proteases of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. These classes were originally discovered by structure-based virtual screening of a focused cysteine protease inhibitor library. Fifteen structural analogs of both series showed moderate inhibition of falcipain-2. Two compounds, 41 and 42, were predicted by docking studies to interact with polar residues buried in the S2 pockets of falcipain-2 and -3, and these compounds inhibited both enzymes. Compound 41 also demonstrated activity against chloroquine-resistant cultured P. falciparum parasites at the lower micromolar concentration. Evaluation of 41 and 42 against mammalian cysteine proteases of papain family suggest these polar residues of the S2 pocket may not be important for the design of selective inhibitors against falcipain.
Contribution of N-glucuronidation to efavirenz elimination in vivo in the basal and rifampin-induced metabolism of efavirenz

In this study, the contribution of efavirenz N-glucuronidation to efavirenz elimination in vivo was assessed. In a two-period placebo-controlled crossover trial design, a single 600-mg oral dose of efavirenz was administered to healthy volunteers (n = 10) pretreated with placebo pills or 600 mg/day rifampin orally for 10 days. Urine and plasma concentrations of efavirenz and 8-hydroxyefavirenz were measured by the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method after enzymatic hydrolysis with β-glucuronidase (conjugated and unconjugated) and without enzymatic hydrolysis (unconjugated). Pharmacokinetic parameters of efavirenz within the placebo- or rifampin-treated group obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis did not show any statistically significant difference compared with those obtained without enzymatic hydrolysis (P > 0.05; paired t test, two-tailed). The amount of efavirenz excreted over 12 h was significantly larger after enzymatic hydrolysis in both the placebo (P = 0.007) and rifampin (P = 0.0001) treatment groups, supporting the occurrence of direct N-glucuronidation of efavirenz, but the relevance of this finding is limited because the amount of efavirenz excreted as unchanged or conjugated in urine is less than 1% of the dose administered. In both the placebo- and rifampin-treated groups, plasma concentrations of 8-hydroxyefavirenz and the amount excreted over 12 h were significantly larger (P < 0.00001) after enzymatic hydrolysis than without enzymatic hydrolysis. These findings suggest that although the occurrence of direct efavirenz N-glucuronidation is supported by the urine data, the abundance of efavirenz N-glucuronide in plasma is negligible and that the contribution of the N-glucuronidation pathway to the overall clearance of efavirenz seems minimal.
Computerized Adiabatic Thermophysical Calorimetry

The dedicated minicomputer is lightening the load and enhancing the productivity of the adiabatic calorimetrist over all regions of temperature.
Ion-beam-deposited boron carbide coatings for the extreme ultraviolet

The normal-incidence reflectance of ion-beam-deposited boron carbide thin films has been evaluated in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region. High-reflectance coatings have been produced with reflectances greater than 30% between 67 and 121.6 nm. This high reflectance makes ion-beam-deposited boron carbide an attractive coating for EUV applications.
A neural-based digital communication receiver for inter-symbol interference and white Gaussian noise channels

A multilayer perceptron with the extended Kalman filter (EKF) training algorithm is investigated as a communication receiver when intersymbol interference and white Gaussian noise are present. Besides discussing the complexity of the EKF algorithm, it is shown that the EKF has better performance than the conventional backpropagation (BP) training algorithm in the sense that is requires less training steps and also results in proper training even when the BP did not. With 2500 training symbols, the EKF resulted in about 4-dB performance improvement over the conventional BP. >
Asking Dialysis Patients About What They Were Told: A New Strategy for Improving Access to Kidney Transplantation?

Kidney transplant remains the optimal treatment for many patients with ESRD.[1][1] Providing timely and equitable access to kidney transplantation across age and ethnicity has been a challenge for many programs.[2][2] Although elegant descriptions of the transplant process have demonstrated stepwise
ACID SOLUBLE RIBONUCLEOTIDES IN ADRENAL TISSUE AFTER HORMONAL STIMULATION123

Ribonucleotide composition of rat adrenal tissue after ACTH stimulation was studied by ion-exchange chromatography. One hour after hormonal administration, a pronounced shift of ribonucleotides to a high-energy level of phosphorylation was indicated.
Main group metal halide complexes with sterically hindered thioureas part XVIII: The synthesis, characterization, and X-ray crystallographic study of a BiCl3 complex with 1-methyl-2(3H)-imidazolethione

Abstract A new bismuth(III) chloride complex with 1-methyl-2(3 H )-imidazolethione ( meimtH ) has been synthesized and characterized via standard methods including solid state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and single crystal X-ray diffractometry. The complex, BiCl 3 [ meimtH ] 2.5 · H 2 O, crystallizes in a triclinic space group. The complex has two different coordination spheres for bismuth, which are linked together in the solid state via hydrogen bonding. One coordination sphere is distorted octahedral with the ligands in meridional positions, while the other is a dimer consisting of two octahedra sharing a common edge through bridging chlorine atoms. The ligands are cis to each other and trans to the chlorine bridges, while the remaining four chlorine atoms are trans to each other and perpendicular to the chlorine–sulfur plane. There is no strong evidence for a stereoactive lone pair in either coordination sphere.
Adaptive Instruction: Building on Diversity.

(1980). Adaptive instruction: Building on diversity. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 19, Teaching Methods: Learning Applications, pp. 122-128.
Synthesis of Poly(L(+) Lactic Acid) by Polycondensation Method in Solution

The disposal problem due to non-degradable petroleum-based plastics has raised the demand for biodegradable polymers. Poly(lactide) (PLA) is a biodegradable aliphatic polyester derived from 100% renewable resources, such as corn and sugar beets. Moreover, it has unique physical properties that make it useful in diverse applications including paper coating, fibers, films, and packaging. In this work, the results of the synthesis of high molar weight poly(L(+) lactic acid) (PLA) which is able to thermally crystallize have been described. The synthesis of poly(L(+) lactic acid) was carried out in a solution of p-xylene. Tin(II) chloride was used as catalysts in a quantity of 1.0 wt% calculated on the monomer. Polycondensation was carried out over a period from ten to over 20 h. The resulting poly(L(+) lactic acids) were characterized by FT-IR, DSC and the GPC. The molecular weight of PLLA reached as high as 26000. FTIR spectra of PLLA were analyzed to determine the configuration of the PLLA. The main byproduct of condensation polymerization is cyclo-polyester. The glass transition temperature of PLA after is 46.25°C. PLA after the recrystallization does not show glass transmission temperature because the crystallinity is more than 40%.
10 W near-diffraction-limited peak pulsed power from Al-free, 0.98 [micro sign]m-emitting phase-locked antiguided arrays

10 W peak-pulsed power emitted in a beam pattern 2×diffraction limit (DL) is obtained from a 40-element, 200 µm-aperture Al-free phase-locked antiguided array (λ = 0.98 µm). 60% of the power resides in the central lobe, and the external differential quantum efficiency is 54% for 1 mm-long optimised facet-coated devices.
Does Framing Matter? Institutional Constraints on Framing in Two Cases of Intrastate Violence

*† A popular current within frame theory holds that frames are more likely to “succeed” when they align with dominant representations of the political environment. These “master frames” are conceptualized as either endogenous to the protest cycle or as products of the political opportunity structure. In contrast, this article utilizes two cases of intrastate violence in 1990s Indonesia—“ethnic” violence in the province of West Kalimantan and “religious” violence in the city of Ambon—to show how long-term institutional processes constrain framing. Local institutions shaped both the perceived relevance of specific cleavages and the organizational resources available to frame articulators—each key to framing outcomes. How the resultant frames aligned with the institutional (religious) cleavage at the level of the state then shaped the alliances available to relevant actors. This suggests the need to reposition framing as a fundamentally institutional process, and as institutionally constrained on multiple levels of social organization. Between 1995 and 2004, Indonesia underwent a slow, chaotic transition from authoritarianism to democracy; sporadic outbreaks of intrastate violence were a byproduct of this process. Within this context, sequences of linked conflict events in the provinces of West and Central Kalimantan (1996-2001) and the Maluku archipelago (1999-2004) were notable for their severity. 1 Despite similar trigger events—antimigrant riots following interpersonal violence between Christian locals and ethnically differentiated Muslim migrants—these conflict sequences developed along different trajectories, drawing in different types of actors on different levels of social organization. Crucial to this divergence were the differing modes of social categorization observers came to associate with violence in the early phases. The dominant understandings of violence that emerged—“ethnic” in West Kalimantan (1996-97) and “religious” in the Moluccan capital of Ambon (1999)—cast later events within each sequence as “battles” within “wars,” defined primarily by these modes of social categorization. What explains their emergence and crystallization as understandings of what violence “was really about?” According to an influential subset of the literature on collective action, such understandings emerge from framing. Framing refers both to the process through which social actors attempt to make sense of events; and the “discursive work” through which political entrepreneurs position events, causes, or projects within narratives carefully selected from an array of available choices (Benford and Snow 2000; Gamson and Meyer 1996; Morrill, Zald,
Renal mineralocorticoid receptor and electrolyte homeostasis

The renal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a steroid hormone receptor essential for maintaining electrolyte homeostasis. Its role in mediating effects of aldosterone was likely vital in enabling the evolution of terrestrial life. Dysregulated aldosterone-MR signaling has been identified as the cause of multiple clinical diseases, suggesting the physiological importance of the MR. While the physiology of this pathway has been studied for over 60 years, only more recently have genetic mouse models been available to dissect its function in vivo. This review will focus on recent advances in our knowledge of MR function with an emphasis on these models.
Biology of Hepatocellular Neoplasia In the Mouse. III. Electron Microscopy of Safrole-Induced Hepatocellular Adenomas and Hepatocellular Carcinomas

A systematic, ultrastructural analysis wsa performed on safrole-induced hepatocellular adenomas and hepatocellular carcinoma(s) (HPC) in BALB/c mice. Adenomas were heterogeneous in cell composition containing dark-staining basophilic cells, pale-staining acidophilic cells, clear cells, and lipid-laden cells. Darkly staining cells resembled fetal hepatocytes. They had large nuclei with irregular borders and limited diversity of organelles. Rough endoplasmic reticulum was prominent and seen as parallel cisternae in single or double tracts often in association with mitochondria. Pale-staining cells contained abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Other organelles were often displaced to the perinuclear or peripheral region of the cell. The clear cells resembled dark-staining or pale-staining cells but also containing large areas of glycogen deposition. Lipid-laden cells contained numerous, multisized lipid droplets in the cytoplasm. HPC contained cell types similar to those of the adenoma. In addition, they contained many anaplastic cells. These resembled hepatocytes but contained several other alterations. The most striking was an apparent increase in the number of altered mitochondria. The cytoplasm was often fluid with enlarged mitochondria with dense or pale matrices. The cristae were few and had altered configurations. Also, an apparent increase was seen in the number of microbodies. These were often clustered in one region of the cytoplasm. An increase in microbodies was also noted in other cell types of hepatocellular carcinomas. The results of this study demonstrated similarities in the cell types of the adenomas and HPC. This study also demonstrated differences, with the anaplastic cell being common only to the carcinoma. Due to the similarity of cell types, the adenoma should be considered a possible site of HPC development.
Development and Validation of a Uniaxial Nonlinear Viscoelastic Viscoplastic Stress Model for a Fuel Cell Membrane

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in operating fuel cells are subjected to varying thermal and hygral loads while under mechanical constraint imposed within the compressed stack. Swelling during hygrothermal cycles can result in residual in-plane tensile stresses in the membrane and lead to mechanical degradation or failure through thinning or pinhole development. Numerical models can predict the stresses resulting from applied loads based on material characteristics, thus aiding in the development of more durable membrane materials. In this work, a nonlinear viscoelastic stress model based on the Schapery constitutive formulation is used with a viscoplastic term to describe the response of a novel membrane material comprised of a blend of perfluorocyclobutane (PFCB) ionomer and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). Uniaxial creep and recovery experiments characterize the time-dependent linear viscoelastic compliance and the fitting parameters for the nonlinear viscoelastic viscoplastic model. The stress model is implemented in a commercial finite element code, abaqus®, to predict the response of a membrane subjected to mechanical loads. The stress model is validated by comparing model predictions to the experimental responses of membranes subjected to multiple-step creep, stress relaxation, and force ramp loads in uniaxial tension.
Nonlinear corrections for inversion formulas in optical diffusion tomography

We propose a new image reconstruction algorithm for solving the nonlinear inverse problem of optical diffusion tomography. The algorithm is based on the analytic construction of the pseudo-inverse operator for the linearized problem which is then used to obtain nonlinear corrections to arbitrary order. The method is illustrated with numerical simulations.
Urethan induced acceleration of hexobarbital metabolism.

SummaryUrethan pretreatment shortens hexobarbital sleeping time and lowers hexo-barbital body levels in mice. These results suggest that urethan increases rate of biotransformation of hexobarbital in mice.
Influence of Exogenous Growth Hormone and Gestational Diet on Sow Blood and Milk Characteristics and on Baby Pig Blood, Body Composition and Performance

Sows (14) and gilts (6) were used in a 2 X 2 factorial experiment to evaluate the effect of diet and highly purified porcine growth hormone (pGH) on sow metabolic status and baby pig survival parameters. Injections were 10 mg/d pGH (GH) or sham control (SH). Diets consisted of a glucose-fat energy source (GF) or control (C). Treatments were administered the last 21 d before parturition (P). Serum GH concentrations were significantly elevated on d -19 P and d -4 P in sows receiving GH injections. Significantly elevated serum glucose and insulin concentrations were concomitantly observed in GH-treated sows, suggesting that the animals had developed a state of insulin resistance. Serum free fatty acids (FFA) were greater (P less than .01) on d -19 P for sows fed the GF diet. Fasted pigs from GH-C dams had greater (P less than .06) mean serum glucose concentrations than pigs from SH-C, SH-GF or GH-GF dams. Pigs from GH-injected sows had more (P less than .01) total body lipids at birth and tended to have increased mean FFA concentrations when compared to SH pigs. However, birth weight, number born live, number born dead, number that died and survival to 21 d were not affected by dam's injection or dietary treatment. Growth hormone injections resulted in a diabetogenic state in gestating sows and led to improved traits related to baby pig blood glucose homeostasis, including increased blood glucose, increased body lipids and a tendency toward increased liver glycogen concentrations. Injection X diet interactions indicate that dietary energy source should be regarded in future growth hormone experiments.
Sickle Cell Disease: Management of Complications

Sickle cell disease (SCD) describes a family of molecular disorders in which patients inherit the hemoglobin S (HbS) mutation and a second beta-globin mutation that impairs normal hemoglobin production and causes clinical sickling. People with SCD have a dramatically increased risk of pain, lung disease, renal failure, bone necrosis, sepsis, stroke, and early death.
Identifying Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated With Burden Among Caregivers of the Urban Homebound: The Importance of Racial and Relationship Differences

Limited research has explored whether the burden associated with caring for homebound patients varies across racial groups or by relationship status. We examined these variations for this vulnerable population. Patients self-identified informal caregivers and caregiver burden/depression were assessed using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Forty-nine informal caregivers completed the interview. Mean age was 58 (SD = 14), 78% were female, 37% Black, 35% Hispanic, and 46% had completed high school. Over 60% of caregivers had moderate or severe caregiver burden and 30% had significant depression. White caregivers had greater burden than Black and Hispanic caregivers (p = .02). Mean caregiver burden was higher among spouse/partner caregivers, versus those who identified as children or other family or friends (p = .004). Additional research is needed to better understand the experience of racial and ethnic minorities and spouses in providing informal care to homebound adults.
Contribution of Noncolonizing Aphids to Potato Virus Y Prevalence in Potato in Idaho.

Potato virus Y (PVY) is a major concern for potato production in the United States given its impact on both crop quality and yield. Although green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is the most efficient PVY vector, it may be less abundant in potato-growing areas of Idaho relative to non-potato-colonizing aphid vectors of PVY that may disperse from nearby cereal fields and other crops. A field study was conducted during 2012–2013 to examine if noncolonizing aphids disperse to nearby potato fields as cereal crops dry down before harvest. The aphid fauna was sampled weekly in four different potato fields in south-central and southeastern Idaho using yellow sticky traps and yellow pan traps. Potato fields were chosen with an adjacent cereal field such that the prevailing westerly wind would facilitate aphid dispersal from cereal fields to potato. Non-potato-colonizing aphids sampled included 10 cereal aphid species, the most abundant of which were Rhopalosiphum padi L. and Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker). More than 35 species from noncereal hosts also were found. Overall, green peach aphid abundance was relatively low, ranging from 0.5–2.5% of the total aphid capture between years and among fields. In both years and all locations, cereal aphid abundance peaked in mid- to late July (cereal ripening stage) and decreased thereafter as cereal crops dried. PVY prevalence in the potato fields increased following these increases in aphid abundance. This study suggests that cereal aphids and other noncolonizing aphids are important contributors to PVY prevalence in potato in southern Idaho.