cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance comparison and evaluation of the proactive and reactive routing protocols for MANETs

Mobile ad hoc networks contain wireless mobile nodes to construct dynamic networks without support of any fixed infrastructure. The nodes or hosts in the network are all movable and self-configurable. At the same time, they serve as routers to deliver data from sources to their destinations. To meet performance requirements of this kind of network, the routers have to work efficiently together. Therefore, routing algorithms play a crucial role in MANET architecture design. This paper presents performance evaluations and analyses for two flat routing protocol types: Proactive and Reactive routing protocols. This paper will also show the simulation results of evaluating the routing overhead, throughput and end-to-end delay of a MANET. Lastly, a performance justification of the simulation results will be presented.
4.428 – Sol–Gel Processed Oxide Controlled Release Materials

In this chapter, we focus extensively on sol–gel processed silica to illustrate the benefits and to elucidate the structure–property–processing relationships of sol–gel oxides as controlled release system. We discuss the general sol–gel process and the biocompatibility of the sol–gel oxides. As a control release system, the release kinetics of the incorporated molecules is discussed. Following the discussion regarding the effect of physical and chemical processing parameters of sol–gel-derived oxides on drug release kinetics, we review the applications potential of these materials in the controlled release arena. In the last section, we also summarize various applications that are being pursued with sol–gel oxides as controlled release system for pharmaceutics and biological molecules.
Not One, Not Two: Toward an Ontology of Pregnancy

Basic understandings of subjectivity are derived from principles of masculine embodiment such as discreteness. But pregnancy challenges such understandings because it represents a sort of splitting of the body. In the pregnant situation, a subject may experience herself as both herself and an other, as well as neither herself nor an other. This is logically untenable—an impossibility. If our discourse depends on discrete referents, then what paradigms of identity are available to the pregnant subject? What could be the pregnant subject's ontology? Eric Bapteste and John Dupre offer the idea that organisms are processual beings. In their view, the ecological interrelationships between the organisms are defining, and render them dynamic processes, rather than stable things. Does Bapteste and Dupre’s processual ontological account accommodate pregnant organisms, including pregnant subjects? Here, I suggest some criteria for an ontology of pregnancy. I test the processual account and determine whether it can accommodate the phenomenon of pregnancy. I find that a processual ontology captures a great deal about pregnant embodiment and is a significant improvement over Cartesian and anti-metaphysical accounts. However, in order to accommodate pregnancy, what we still need from an ontology is the inclusion of subjectivity.
Mobile Phone Apps to Support Heart Failure Self-Care Management: Integrative Review.

Background: With an explosive growth in mobile health, an estimated 500 million patients are potentially using mHealth apps for supporting health and self-care of chronic diseases. Therefore, this review focused on mHealth apps for use among patients with heart failure. Objective: The aim of this integrative review was to identify and assess the functionalities of mHealth apps that provided usability and efficacy data and apps that are commercially available without supporting data, all of which are to support heart failure self-care management and thus impact heart failure outcomes. Methods: A search of published, peer-reviewed literature was conducted for studies of technology-based interventions that used mHealth apps specific for heart failure. The initial database search yielded 8597 citations. After filters for English language and heart failure, the final 487 abstracts was reviewed. After removing duplicates, a total of 18 articles that tested usability and efficacy of mobile apps for heart failure self-management were included for review. Google Play and Apple App Store were searched with specified criteria to identify mHealth apps for heart failure. A total of 26 commercially available apps specific for heart failure were identified and rated using the validated Mobile Application Rating Scale. Results: The review included studies with low-quality design and sample sizes ranging from 7 to 165 with a total sample size of 847 participants from all 18 studies. Nine studies assessed usability of the newly developed mobile health system. Six of the studies included are randomized controlled trials, and 4 studies are pilot randomized controlled trials with sample sizes of fewer than 40. There were inconsistencies in the self-care components tested, increasing bias. Thus, risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for risk of selection, performance, detection, attrition, and reporting biases. Most studies included in this review are underpowered and had high risk of bias across all categories. Three studies failed to provide enough information to allow for a complete assessment of bias, and thus had unknown or unclear risk of bias. This review on the commercially available apps demonstrated many incomplete apps, many apps with bugs, and several apps with low quality. Conclusions: The heterogeneity of study design, sample size, intervention components, and outcomes measured precluded the performance of a systematic review or meta-analysis, thus introducing bias of this review. Although the heart failure–related outcomes reported in this review vary, they demonstrated trends toward making an impact and offer a potentially cost-effective solution with 24/7 access to symptom monitoring as a point of care solution, promoting patient engagement in their own home care.
HeartMe: Thermochromic Display as An Expression of Heart Health

The amplification of biodata through dynamic textile displays opens the potential for novel ways of communicating our emotions, health and of understanding others. In this paper, we present HeartMe: a provocation of awareness in heart disease by using thermochromic displays. We present our design process to create three displays with different thermochromic textile patterns and heating circuits. Different variables were used such as heating up timing, cooling down timing and temperature in order to create dynamic and controllable interfaces with thermochromic inks. They interact with user's heartbeat rates, exploring the possibilities of thermochromic as social displays.
Analysis and Modeling of Large-Scale Steam Explosion Experiments

This paper describes current analysis and modeling results of large-scale steam explosion experiments. For the large-scale experiments, a transient one-dimensional explosion model was developed that can qualitatively predict the trends in the experimental data. The model employs a description of vapor film collapse and subsequent fuel fragmentation by thermal and mechanical means. In addition, a simple empirical explosion model was developed and incorporated into a two-dimensional hydrodynamic computer program. This combination can be used to investigate the two-dimensional characteristics of the propagation and expansion phases for large-scale explosions.
Bone marrow emboli versus fat emboli as the cause of unexpected death.

Thromboemboli were found diffusely throughout the pulmonary vasculature system of a 76-year-old white female who died unexpectedly 3 days following injury and repair of a left hip intracapsular fracture. A diffuse chronic nonspecific myocarditis with marked fat atrophy, an acute myocardial infaret of the posterior left ventricular papillary muscle, and an acute right lower lobe bronchopneumonia are believed to be the cause of death.
Abstract 5192: Detection of disseminated prostate cancer cells in bone marrow using tyramide signal amplification

Approximately 28,000 men die of prostate cancer (PCa) each year in the US, and 90-100% of them are due to bone metastasis. It has been demonstrated that PCa cells detach from the primary tumor, “home” to bone, and develop into these incurable metastases. Existing methods of detecting cells early that can lead to bone metastasis have limited sensitivity and current efforts involve liquid biopsy assays to capture and detect disseminated and circulating tumor cells (DTCs and CTCs respectively). A significant challenge during this detection lies in the optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio during immunofluorescent staining. Noise during immunostaining can originate from endogenous immune cells and other bone marrow matrix components and lead to false staining which reduces sensitivity. We have developed an optimized protocol to reduce background noise from these factors while also enhancing signal using tyramide signal amplification (TSA). Following immuno-staining with PCa cell-specific markers, TSA amplifies beyond primary and secondary antibody binding using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and fluorophore binding. To further apply this novel signal amplification protocol to the visualization of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow, we will detect, quantify, and image parental and modified PCa cells injected into murine blood. We have previously shown that C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 causes PCa cells to home to bone. We have stably overexpressed CXCR4 in several PCa cell lines and will be able to determine the role of CXCR4 expression on the development of bone metastases. This robust protocol will be quickly modifiable for automated staining to yield higher throughput analysis. Citation Format: Sounak Roy, Kenneth C. Valkenburg, Kenneth J. Pienta. Detection of disseminated prostate cancer cells in bone marrow using tyramide signal amplification [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5192.
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT RISK-STRATIFIED CANCER SURVIVORSHIP CARE

Cancer follow-up care that meets survivors’ unique needs cannot be provided solely by medical oncology teams due to the shortage of oncologists nor entirely by the primary care workforce, which has little training in the needs of cancer survivors. A risk-stratified approach that matches the intensity of care with patient need can optimize both patient outcomes and efficient use of the healthcare system, and is in use in other countries like the United Kingdom. The American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology brought together multiple stakeholders to assess the data on risk-stratified follow-up care and create a blueprint for next steps to implement this care in the United States. In addition, the American Cancer Society will be working with stakeholders to identify and prioritize gaps in the science needed to create and implement an evidence-based and efficient risk-stratified model for survivorship care in the United States.
Are Transformational Leaders Always the Most Successful Bosses for All Followers

Prior research has shown that transformational leadership was positively associated with follower job performance. However, the boundary conditions of this positive link have gained a little resear...
The Obama Administration’s Global Warming Legacy: Going with the Flow and the Politics of Failure

George A. Gonzalez analyzes Obama’s program for attacking the problem of greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants. Gonzalez uncovers a flaw in this 2014 policy. The flaw is that implementation of the policy relies on state governments who are less interested in reducing emission than in economic growth. This federalism requirement was a part of the history of the Environment Protection Agency. Accordingly, Obama’s greenhouse emission policy is more symbolic than a real reform. The dominant figure in the making of environmental policy has been the business community. Allowing the states to implement said environment policy undermined the policy. Firstly, the 30 percent target reduction from power plants was meager as utilities are switching to natural gas and will likely achieve this target without government intervention. Secondly, the Obama administration’s reliance on the states to achieve even this modest goal communicates that the administration was not interested in reducing greenhouse gasses, but in managing, assuaging the public’s concerns over climate change. Thus, the administration’s policies on global warming were symbolic, not substantive.
Electromagnetic sensing of a subsurface metallic object at different depths

Microwave/radar sensors and techniques are widely used for detecting underground or subsurface targets in archeology, geophysics, and civil engineering. Among existing microwave/radar sensors and techniques, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging enables researchers and engineers to conduct surface and subsurface detection of metallic objects with improved detectability. The noncontact, remote sensing feature of SAR imaging provides a safer approach in a dangerous mission, such as demining. The objective of this paper is to investigate the depth (d) effect of a metallic object buried in dry sand. A steel disk specimen of 15-cm diameter was buried inside a box (sandbox) filled up with dry sand at various depths (d = 10 cm, 18 cm, and 26 cm) and scanned by a 10-GHz SAR system. Three ranges (R = 15 cm, 30 cm, and 60 cm) between the SAR antenna and the sandbox were also considered in this research. It was found that the SAR amplitude and its distribution decrease with the increase of buried depth and the increase of range. Distribution of SAR amplitudes representing the buried metal disk specimen also changed with the increase of buried depth. Empirical models were also proposed for range and depth effects of subsurface metallic objects in SAR images.
Thermal Expansion Coefficient of Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy.

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials have shown great potential for applications in nanoscale electronic and optical devices. A fundamental property of these 2D flakes that needs to be we...
An Evaluation Metric for Content Providing Models, Recommendation Systems, and Online Campaigns

Creating an optimal digital experience for users require providing users desirable content and also delivering these contents in optimal time as user’s experience and interaction taking place. There are multiple metrics and variables that may determine the success of a “user digital experience”. These metrics may include accuracy, computational cost and other variables. Many of these variables may be contradictory to one another (as explained later in this submission) and their importance may depend on the specific application the digital experience optimization may be pursuing. To deal with this intertwined, possibly contradicting and confusing set of metrics, this work introduces a generalized index entailing all possible metrics and variables – that may be significant in defining a successful “digital experience design model”. Besides its generalizability, as it may include any metric the marketers or scientists consider to be important, this new index allows the marketers or the scientists to give different weights to the corresponding metrics as the significance of a specific metric may depends on the specific application. This index is very flexible and could be adjusted as the objective of” user digital experience optimization” may change.
Urban Semantic 3D Reconstruction From Multiview Satellite Imagery

Methods for automated 3D urban modeling typically result in very dense point clouds or surface meshes derived from either overhead lidar or imagery (multiview stereo). Such models are very large and have no semantic separation of individual structures (i.e. buildings, bridges) from the terrain. Furthermore, such dense models often appear "melted" and do not capture sharp edges. This paper demonstrates an end-to-end system for segmenting buildings and bridges from terrain and estimating simple, low polygon, textured mesh models of these structures. The approach uses multiview-stereo satellite imagery as a starting point, but this work focuses on segmentation methods and regularized 3D surface extraction. Our work is evaluated on the IARPA CORE3D public data set using the associated ground truth and metrics. A web-based application deployed on AWS runs the algorithms and provides visualization of the results. Both the algorithms and web application are provided as open source software as a resource for further research or product development.
In utero exposure to maternal diabetes impairs nephron progenitor differentiation.

The incidence of diabetes mellitus has significantly increased among women of childbearing age, and it has been shown that prenatal exposure to maternal diabetes increases the risk of associated co...
Benchmarking and Workload Analysis of Robot Dynamics Algorithms

Rigid body dynamics calculations are needed for many tasks in robotics, including online control. While there currently exist several competing software implementations that are sufficient for use in traditional control approaches, emerging sophisticated motion control techniques such as nonlinear model predictive control demand orders of magnitude more frequent dynamics calculations. Current software solutions are not fast enough to meet that demand for complex robots. The goal of this work is to examine the performance of current dynamics software libraries in detail. In this paper, we (i) survey current state-of-the-art software implementations of the key rigid body dynamics algorithms (RBDL, Pinocchio, RigidBodyDynamics.jl, and RobCoGen), (ii) establish a methodology for benchmarking these algorithms, and (iii) characterize their performance through real measurements taken on a modern hardware platform. With this analysis, we aim to provide direction for future improvements that will need to be made to enable emerging techniques for real-time robot motion control. To this end, we are also releasing our suite of benchmarks to enable others to help contribute to this important task.
Provider perspectives of housing programs for young adults experiencing homelessness.

Abstract Objective Qualitative methods were used to investigate the perspectives of service providers working in Permanent Supportive Housing, Transitional Living Programs, and Rapid Rehousing for young adults who have experienced homelessness. The primary aim was to explore how housing models were designed, implemented, and the extent to which there is variability in how providers approach their work with young adults. Methods Data come from 26 housing service providers purposively sampled from supportive housing providers across the United States between October 2017 and July 2018. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a comparative case summary approach, grouped by program model. Results Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis related to how specific housing models were developed (Stranded between systems: “No model to follow”), the strategies that providers took to support residents toward independence and self-sufficiency (Working toward independence and self-sufficiency: “No one-sized approach”), and the various roles that individual providers discussed fulfilling in their work with young adults (Shifting roles: “Whatever type of figure is needed”). Discussion While the overarching goals of supportive housing span across housing models, the methods and philosophies of service delivery differ, mirroring the programmatic structure of the model. Results point to a competing philosophies approach to housing as it delivers different philosophically oriented programming models for similar youth through Transitional Living Programs, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Rapid Rehousing models.
Data Envelopment Analysis and Big Data: Revisit with a Faster Method

Khezrimotlagh et al. (Eur J Oper Res 274(3):1047–1054, 2019) propose a new framework to deal with large-scale data envelopment analysis (DEA). The framework provides the fastest available technique in the DEA literature to deal with big data. It is well known that as the number of decision-making units (DMUs) or the number of inputs–outputs increases, the size of DEA linear programming problems increases; and thus, the elapsed time to evaluate the performance of DMUs sharply increases. The framework selects a subsample of DMUs and identifies the set of all efficient DMUs. After that, users can apply DEA models with known efficient DMUs to evaluate the performance of inefficient DMUs or benchmark them. In this study, we elucidate their proposed method with transparent examples and illustrate how the framework is applied. Additional simulation exercises are designed to evaluate the performance of the framework in comparison with the performance of the two former methods: build hull (BH) and hierarchical decomposition (DH). The disadvantages of BH and HD are transparently demonstrated. A single computer with two different CPUs is used to run the methods. For the first time in the literature, we consider the cardinalities, 200,000, 500,000 and 1,000,000 DMUs.
Early intervention on high-risk infants

With numbers of high-risk infants growing very quiclkly, the early intervention to them becomes more and more important. This paper is involved in the summary, mechanism, principle,model and the treatments to the high-risk infants. Key words: High-risk infants; Early intervention; Cerebral palsy; Review
17 Reduction in left ventricular myocardial function in long-term paediatric neuroblastoma survivors

Background There are little data on the incidence of chemotherapy-induced myocardial dysfunction in long-term survivors of high-risk (HR) neuroblastoma. Our aim was to investigate the incidence of myocardial dysfunction in patients with high-risk (HR) neuroblastoma. Method We performed a retrospective case-control study between 2003 and 2012 of HR NBL patients treated according to the SIOPEN HR-NBL clinical trial at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Dublin. Inclusion criteria were patients enrolled on the trial with an echocardiogram prior to commencement of chemotherapy and a subsequent echocardiogram on follow-up. Comparative echocardiograms were obtained on age-matched healthy controls. Results 36 patients met inclusion criteria. 53% were male (n = 18). All patients received rapid COJEC induction, 83% received busulfan/melphalan (n = 30) and 61% topotecan (n = 22). 21/40 Over half received doxorubicin (n = 21). Most recent echocardiography follow-up was an average of 22 months from initial study. There was no difference in fractional shortening (FS) pre- and post-treatment (36% and 34%) (p = 0.13). Last measured FS in survivors and non-survivors (33% and 35%, respectively) was not significantly different (p = 0.18). FS in older survivors (aged 8–15) reached significance when compared to controls (p = 0.0037). There was also a significant difference between cases and age-matched controls when divided into quartiles by time since diagnosis (p = 0.079, p = 0.01, p = 0.07, p = 0.04, respectively). There was no dilation in left heart internal diameter at end diastole at any age between cases and controls. Conclusion Reduction in left ventricular fractional shortening is seen in older patients treated for HR neuroblastoma and this finding holds true when corrected for time since diagnosis. The mechanism of ventricular dysfunction is not due to progressive dilated cardiomyopathy, as indicated by preserved left ventricular internal diameters in diastole between cases and controls. Further study is warranted.
Parasite management programs for small ruminants

Implementation of effective parasite control programs in small ruminants requires the ability to monitor live animals for anemia and body condition score. The effectiveness of the program and of the drugs being used can be further monitored by qualitative and quantitative fecal examinations and fecal egg count reduction tests. Additional tests that may be needed occasionally are the Baermann for collection of lungworm larvae from the feces and larval culture to identify the species of strongyles that are present, especially when resistance has developed.
Empirical Evidence of the Value of Monitoring in Joint Ownership

Joint ownership of assets by two partners can have an adverse effect on the incentives to invest and can result in unstable and inefficient organizational structures. Control sharing, however, plays an important role in economic, political, and social institutions. There is scarce empirical evidence on the benefits of joint ownership in corporate finance. We analyze acquisitions of corporate assets by joint ventures to empirically ascertain the value of joint ownership in economic activities. The results indicate that firms experience significantly larger returns in joint acquisitions than in full-control acquisitions and that this difference is restricted to the sample of firms in which both partners share equal ownership in the target. These findings suggest that monitoring in joint ownership structures ameliorates the possibility of value-destroying corporate decisions.
Of Men and Mongrels: Myth and Queer Representation in Brian K. Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man and Saga

This essay argues for the narrative possibilities of Brian K. Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man as a queer response to the hero myth, an attempt at rejecting a triumphant heteronormative ideology, before t...
Divergent attitudes regarding the benefits of face masks in aviation colleges and universities

Opinions and practices regarding face masks (FM) to attenuate COVID-19’s spread remains polarized across the United States. We examined whether these attitudes extend to the aviation collegiate community. A 14-question survey was sent to 90 aviation colleges and universities throughout the country. Responses were solicited from students, faculty, and staff. Of the 598 respondents, 77% were students, 13% were faculty, and 10% were staff. Pilots comprised 66% of the respondents. A Principal Component Analysis reduced the questions to two scales: Benefits and Inconvenience. Females, non-pilots, and older respondents reported greater benefits to wearing a FM and fewer inconveniences. A multiple regression showed aviation colleges and universities located in states which had FM mandates, higher likelihood of community compliance, lower rates of COVID-19 in their state, and reports of less inconvenience predicted attitudes of greater benefits of wearing a FM. Additional comments were provided by 28% of the respondents, showing strongly polarized attitudes about the benefits of FMs. Respondents who had negative attitudes about the benefits of wearing FMs, nevertheless reported compliance on college campus. As leaders in education, collegiate aviation has a responsibility to educate their students, faculty, and staff of the importance of public health measures, dispelling misinformation, and modelling behavior to increase compliance with wearing FMs. © 2021, University Aviation Association. All rights reserved.
Automatic fault model/logic model generation for large scale ASIC circuits

The authors describe a technique that generates accurate fault models/logic model for large scale ASIC circuits automatically. A summary of the algorithm is given, and a circuit example is discussed. >
Inoculum Density-Dependent Mortality and Colonization of the Phyllosphere by Pseudomonas syringae.

Pseudomonas syringae inocula containing cell concentrations ranging from 105 to 109 cells per ml were applied to the primary leaves of bean plants. The plants were incubated under conditions of high temperature and illumination and low relative humidity. Bacterial mortality rates and the proportional population decline of the inoculum were lowest at the highest inoculum concentrations. Addition of a high concentration of heat-killed cells to the inoculum containing a low concentration of viable cells significantly reduced both the mortality rate and the proportional population decline of the viable cells. The mechanisms underlying this density-dependent mortality may include cooperative protective effects of extracellular factors, such as bacterial extracellular polysaccharides, and physical protection by neighboring cells. Although epiphytic populations derived from inoculum concentrations of 108 or 109 cells per ml tended toward 106 CFU/g, the presumed carrying capacity of the leaf, populations derived from lower inoculum concentrations never achieved this carrying capacity. Assuming that epiphytic populations of P. syringae reside in discrete protected sites, our results suggest that at low inoculum concentrations, following a period of environmental stress, the number of viable cells may have dropped to zero in some sites; hence, the carrying capacity of the leaf could not be achieved.
Charred forests increase snowmelt: Effects of burned woody debris and incoming solar radiation on snow ablation

[1] We document effects of postfire forest conditions on snow accumulation, albedo, and ablation in the Oregon Cascades. We measured snow water equivalent, solar radiation, snow albedo, and snowpack surface debris at a pair of burned and unburned forest plots. Snow accumulation was greater in the burned forest; however, the snowpack disappeared 23 days earlier and had twice the ablation rate than in the unburned forest. Snow albedo was 40% lower in the burned forest during ablation, while approximately 60% more solar radiation reached the snow surface, driving a 200% increase in net shortwave radiation. Significant amounts of pyrogenic carbon particles and larger burned woody debris shed from standing charred trees accumulated on the snowpack and darkened its surface. Spatial analysis showed that across the Western U.S., 80% of all forest fires occurred in the seasonal snow zone, and were 4.4 times larger than fires outside the seasonal snow zone.
Inhibition of herpes simplex virus replication by purine deoxyribonucleosides.

Abstract The inhibition of herpes simplex virus (HSV) replication by 2′-deoxyadenosine (dAdo) is greatly potentiated by the presence of the inhibitor of adenosine deaminase, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA). HSV replication is inhibited by dAdo [in the presence of EHNA] or by 2′-deoxyguanosine (dGuo) at concentrations slightly lower than are necessary to inhibit growth of uninfected HeLa cells. Under conditions where virus replication is inhibited by >99% with dAdo and EHNA, the level of dATP increases 50-fold or more, and synthesis of HSV DNA is inhibited. However, there is no depletion of any other DNA precursor, and HSV multiplication is not restored by simultaneous provision of dGuo, deoxythymidine, deoxycytidine, or a combination of all three of these nucleosides. Thus, the inhibition of HSV replication by dAdo cannot be explained as a block of precursor provision through inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase. In contrast, dGuo treatment of HSV-infected cells leads to depletion of dCTP, and virus multiplication is partially restored by provision of deoxycytidine. HSV-infected cells may serve as a useful system for study of the toxic effects of dAdo that are unrelated to inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase by dATP.
Health Care Competition and Antibiotic Use in Taiwan

Antibiotic resistance, a negative externality of antibiotic use, is a growing threat to public health. Health care competition may encourage antibiotic use because receiving an antibiotic is a form of ‘quality’ for many patients. This paper examines the effect of market concentration on antibiotic use in a large, nationally-representative data set from Taiwan. Moving from the 75th percentile to the 25th percentile of market concentration is associated with 6.6 per cent greater antibiotic use. We control for leading market-level confounds, including population density and community health. We also show that the correlation is robust using fixed effects for patients, physicians and diagnoses. We document the correlation between antibiotic use and patient retention, which suggests a mechanism for this result. Finally, we show that strict regulation of antibiotics reduces but does not eliminate the effect of competition on antibiotic use.
High fluoride concentration in drinking water may increase the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis, and decrease occurrence of caries.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Dental Fluorosis and Dental Caries among 12-Year-Old Children from High- and Low-Fluoride Areas in Lithuania Narbutaite J, Vehkalahti MM, Milciuviene S. Eur J Oral Sci 2007;115:137-42 Level of Evidence Strength of Recommendation not needed. Purpose/Question To investigate the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis, and the occurrence of dental caries, among 12-year-old children from high- and low-fluoride areas in Lithuania. Source of Funding Information not available. Type of Study/Design Retrospective Cohort Study
Behavioral disturbances of dementia: practical and conceptual issues.

Among the challenges clinicians and researchers face regarding behavioral disturbances of dementia are how to conceptualize them and how to measure them. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) recognizes that dementia can be associated with mood symptoms and delusions by formally coding for them but does not have codes for coexisting hallucinations or other specific behavioral symptoms associated with dementia. One reason for this lack of coding classification is the difficulty in conceptualizing the many behavioral disorders, symptoms, and problems seen in patients with dementia.
The postnatal expression of acetylcholinesterase in somatostatin-positive cells of mouse hippocampus

The neuroanatomical distributions of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SOMLI) of neurons intrinsic to the mouse hippocampal formation have been evaluated during postnatal development. Besides the progressive development of neuropil staining for AChE, as a consequence of the septohippocampal innervation, intense AChE staining was also expressed in a subpopulation of neurons intrinsic to the stratum oriens and the hilus of dentate gyrus. In the stratum oriens, the number of AChE-positive cells increased between postnatal day (PND) 3 and PND 10 and declined slightly after PND 21. In the hilus of the dentate gyrus, the number of AChE-stained cell bodies increased progressively until PND 21 when the adult complement was achieved. The AChE-positive neurons of strata radiatum and lacunosum-moleculare, which were few and scattered, increased progressively from PND 7 until adulthood. SOMLI-positive neurons were present in the hippocampal formation by PND 3, and their density showed initial increases followed by decreases in the second to third postnatal week. SOMLI cell distribution on the other hand did not change remarkably during subsequent maturation. Because of the similar developmental time course and localization of AChE and SOMLI neurons, co-localization was assessed by a double-staining method. A large percentage of the neurons staining for one of these markers also stained for the other. In the stratum oriens, from PND 3 to PND 10, the number of SOMLI neurons expressing AChE was increased while a slight decrease from the PND 21 to adulthood was evident. Virtually all SOMLI-positive neurons in the dentate gyrus stained for AChE from PND 7 through adulthood, although the intensity of AChE reactivity declined with maturation.
A new convection state at substorm onset: Results from an MHD study

[1] A global simulation of a December 22, 1996 substorm revealed a previously unknown state of magnetospheric convection. Earthward flow from a tail neutral line reversed direction in the inner magnetosphere and formed a large-scale vortical nightside convection pattern. The dawnside vortex formed a flux rope just prior to the substorm onset, but this was not the cause of the substorm breakup. The vortex structure of the dusk-side flow created strong field-aligned currents directed away from the Earth that connected to the region of maximum auroral luminosity in the ionosphere. These currents are probably related to the westward traveling surge. The flow reversal and formation of the tail vortices may be a result of the simulation's earthward convection being limited by the high near-Earth plasma pressure and/or by line-tying caused by the high ionospheric conductance.
Unexpected collagen crosslinking observed during in vitro radiolabeling of the galactosyl moiety

Aldehyde groups, generated by oxidation of free primary alcohol groups of galactosyl residues of glycoproteins by galactose oxidase, can react with free amino groups on the polypeptide chain through Schiff base formation. Subsequent reduction with tritiated borohydride results in the formation of stable crosslinks instead of the expected generation of radiolabeled alcohol groups. Attempts to perform in vitro radiolabeling of collagen type I by this procedure resulted in undesirable crosslinking with profound alteration of the physical properties that rendered the resulting radiolabeled preparation unsuitable for biochemical studies.
Multilateral nuclear fuel supply guarantees & spent fuel management: what are the priorities?

devices. To cope with this problem, some have advocated that enrichment and reprocessing facilities be constructed and operated under multilateral arrangements. Such an approach is generally viewed as effective in ensuring safe and reliable access to nuclear fuel and services at competitive market prices while strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime by removing incentives for countries to develop indigenous fuel cycle capabilities. It is interesting to note that all proposals for multinational fuel cycle facilities have thus far originated from “supplier states.” If multilateral fuel cycle arrangements have attracted only limited interest from “consumer states,” it must be in part because the existing market for enrichment services has been operating reliably. Otherwise, potential buyers would have explored more actively new ideas for ensuring fuel supply. Clearly, something more than market reliability is at issue here. If some consumer states fear that fuel supply could be disrupted for purely political reasons, others seem to fear that multilateral supply arrangements could serve as a pretext for depriving them of their rights to construct and operate fuel cycle facilities domestically. This paper posits that further improving the reliability of fuel supply is best achieved by giving priority to fuel leasing contracts, coupled with long-term generic export licenses, and last resort multilateral fuel supply arrangements. These arrangements are easier to implement in the short term, rather than much more complex multinational enrichment facilities. For neighboring countries starting nuclear power programs, setting up a fuel procurement consortium would provide safer and better fuel supplies than their individual participation in a multinational enrichment facility.
Interparental conflict, relationship with the noncustodial father, and adolescent post-divorce adjustment

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the unique and combined contributions of ongoing interparental conflict and the quality of the adolescent's relationship with the noncustodial father to adolescent adjustment as measured by teacher assessments of internalizing and externalizing problems. Seventy adolescents from recently divorced homes and their social studies teachers participated in the study. The results revealed that the effects of continuing interparental conflict following divorce on adolescent functioning cannot be isolated from the adolescent's relationship with the noncustodial father. Adolescents who reported closer relationships with their noncustodial fathers and who perceived relatively high levels of interparental conflict were assessed as displaying fewer internalizing problems than adolescents who reported poorer relationships with their noncustodial fathers in conjunction with high levels of interparental conflict. Adolescents who reported both close relationships with their noncustodial fathers and low levels of conflict between their parents were perceived to have the lowest levels of internalizing problems.
THE UNCOOPERATIVE PATIENT: II

R. T. was a 52-year-old divorced Caucasian male with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to polycystic kidney disease. He was on thrice weekly hemodialysis for over 15 years until he succumbed to metastatic pulmonary cancer. His average dry weight was 285 pounds. His dialysis course was complicated by late onset diabetes mellitus, severe peripheral neuropathy, and renal bone disease. He had a history of noncompliance, even prior to initiating dialysis, with poor adherence to his prescribed antihypertensive regimen in spite of severe hypertension. During his years of dialysis, he exhibited both episodic and chronic noncompliance to much of his medical regimen, including: excess interdialytic weight gains of 10–25 pounds. This was a regular chronic noncompliance problem. He constantly drank large amounts of carbonated beverages because, he said, he was thirsty and craved these drinks; frequent high serum potassium predialysis because he refused to follow appropriate dietary regimens; irregular compliance with taking his phosphate-binders, complaining of severe constipation and often not taking other prescribed medications; occasionally skipping dialysis, offering that he forgot what time it was or that he overslept; factitious dermatitis. Although regularly advised to desist, he picked and scratched on small skin lesions, often producing larger ulcers and abrasions. In fact, this likely led to his early demise. One lesion on his fistula arm was initially thought to be merely a factitious ulcer. However, it failed to heal and enlarged. He was advised to see a surgeon, but repeatedly canceled his appointments. Finally, when biopsied. it was squamous-cell carcinoma. Despite wide excision and radiation treatments, the lesion metastasized to his lungs and he succumbed fifteen months later. The staff and his physician held repeated conferences in efforts to improve this patient's compliance. Interventions included: admonishment about the risks that could befall him; praise when he did well; frequent counseling by his physician and the staff members he liked; minor rewards such as dialysis time changes or shortening dialysis when Compliance improved; denying his manipulatory behavior and eliciting family support (which was not strong) when appropriate. At times, these interventions were helpful, and he displayed better compliance for short periods. It was noted that he was often depressed and exhibited personality problems. He complained that certain members of the staff didn't like him, and the staff felt antagonized by his noncompliant behavior. His greatest rapport was with his personal nephrologist to whom he responded from time to time with episodic compliance.
Fluvial response to debris associated with mass wasting during extreme floods

Evolution of channels and bottomlands in mountain valleys of the central Appalachians is strongly influenced by debris supplied to stream channels from mass wasting during extreme storms. The type of change observed varies with basin scale and storm characteristics. Along channels receiving coarse sediment from debris avalanches or debris flows during Hurricane Camille in 1969, pure scour occurred in drainage areas less than 1 km 2 and gradients steeper than 0.1; in Hurricane Camille and in the June 1949 storm, mixed erosion and deposition with continuous reworking of the valley floor was observed along streams with drainage areas up to 65 km 2 . In basins larger than 100 km 2 , valley-floor reworking associated with influx of debris during both storms was localized and discontinuous. In the South Branch Potomac River basin in West Virginia, intense precipitation within a small contributing area generated scores of debris slides and avalanches in June 1949; debris transported by tributaries to main valleys exceeded the competence of the larger channels and formed new bottomland. Long-duration moderate-intensity precipitation in November 1985 generated fewer debris avalanches. Flood peaks associated with a larger contributing area along the main valleys were 80% to 190% larger than in 1949 and caused extensive channel and flood-plain erosion, including truncation and removal of 1949 deposits. At some locations relict debris deposits may have influenced hydraulic conditions and affected patterns of erosion and deposition during the 1985 storm. Sequential occurrence of extreme storms with different hydrologic characteristics creates a bottomland mosaic of surfaces with varying elevations and textures.
One Step Closer to an Ebola Virus Vaccine

Despite the slowing and eventual halting of the spread of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa,1,2 the battle for preventing and managing future outbreaks is still on. This is no time to be complacent. The scale of the outbreak, in which every few days during the early part of the outbreak about the same number of cases accrued as occurred during the entire 3-month outbreak in Gulu, Uganda, in 2000–2001 — previously the largest outbreak on record — prompted us to pull out all the stops, albeit after a slow start.3 Vaccines are a key weapon in our . . .
Co-localization of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 and fibronectin in human articular cartilage

Abstract Objective The anabolic cytokine insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) stimulates chondrocyte synthesis of matrix macromolecules and several lines of evidence suggest that it has a major role in maintaining articular cartilage and possibly in cartilage repair. Despite the apparent importance of IGF-I in articular cartilage metabolism and its potential importance in joint diseases, little is known about the regulation of IGF-I activity within the tissue. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) bind IGF-I and can modify its activity. At least three IGFBPs are expressed by chondrocytes: IGFBP-3, -4 and -5. Localization of IGFPBs in the articular cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) could create reservoirs of IGF-I within the articular cartilage ECM and thereby regulate local IGF-I levels. We hypothesized that ECM molecules bind and concentrate IGFPBs in the pericellular/territorial matrix. Design Semi-quantitative immunohistological measures of co-localization were used to compare the spatial distribution of IGFBP-3, -4, and -5 with the distributions of three peri-cellularly-enriched matrix molecules fibronectin, tenascin-C, and type VI collagen in osteoarthritic and non-osteoarthritic human articular cartilage. Purified proteins were used in an agarose diffusion assay to compare IGFBP-3 binding to the same three matrix proteins. Results IGFBP-3 associated with fibronectin in the pericellular/territorial matrix (∼40% co-localization) but not with tenascin-C, or type VI collagen (∼6% and ∼15% co-localization respectively, P 0.05). Neither IGFBP-4, nor IGFBP-5 were associated with any of the three ECM proteins ( P 0.05). In agarose diffusion assays IGFBP-3 interacted with fibronectin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan but not with type VI collagen or tenascin-C. Conclusions Direct binding between purified IGFBP-3 and fibronectin and the strong co-localization the two proteins in the cartilage matrix support the hypothesis that IGFPB-3 and fibronectin help regulate local IGF-I levels. Copyright 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of OsteoArthritis Research Society International