cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the effects of depressive symptoms and apnea severity on fatigue in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A replication study

Background Links between fatigue and depressive symptoms in medically ill patients are well-documented; however, few studies controlled for illness severity. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common, frequently devastating disease that often includes daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Fatigue is also a hallmark depressive symptom. We previously reported that depressive symptoms explained ten times the variance in fatigue in OSA patients as did OSA severity itself (respiratory disturbance index, oxyhemoglobin saturation). OSA severity explained 4.2% of variance in fatigue while depressive symptoms explained an additional 42.3%. Here, we report a replication of these findings in a new, independent sample. Methods 56 untreated OSA patients had their sleep monitored with polysomnography on the UCSD GCRC. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression (CESD), Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Medical Outcomes Studies (MOS) surveys. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. Results OSA severity explained 13.4% (p = 0.022) of variance in POMS fatigue while CESD scores explained an additional 24.5% (p < 0.001). Results were robust to changes in the scales used to measure these constructs. Limitations Cross-sectional design precludes determination of direction of causality. Assessment of depressive symptoms and fatigue was based on validated self-report measures. Conclusions These results reaffirm that depressive symptoms are dramatically and independently associated with worse fatigue in OSA patients. While the independent contribution of OSA severity varied between studies, depressive symptoms were the strongest predictor of fatigue in both studies. Assessment and treatment of mood symptoms–not just treatment of OSA itself–might reduce fatigue in these patients.
Specular reflectance of optical-black coatings in the far infrared

Far-infrared specular reflectance spectra of seven optically black coatings near normal incidence are presented. Seven photometric spectra were obtained using eleven bandpass transmission filters in the wavelength range between 12 and 500 microns, and three interferometric spectra were obtained for corroboration. Data on the construction, thickness, and rms surface roughness of the coatings are also presented. The chemical composition of three coatings can be distinguished from that of the others by a strong absorption feature between 20 and 40 microns, which can be largely attributed to amorphous silicate material. At 100 microns, the most and least reflective coatings differ by nearly 3 orders of magnitude. Inverse relationships observed between the spectra and the roughness and thickness of the coatings led to development of a reflecting-layer model for the measured reflectance. The model successfully describes the spectra at wavelengths outside the silicate absorption, and optical constants are deduced from a nonlinear least squares fit to the data. Parametric errors are estimated by chi-square analysis, and sensitivity tests are performed to determine which parameters control reflectance in different spectral regions.
Supercontinuum generation in microstructure fiber at the advent of femtosecond combs

The ability to generate a supercontinuum in microstructure fiber using only the unamplified pulses from a mode-locked oscillator was critical to the development of optical frequency combs. I will briefly introduce the key concepts for stabilizing the comb spectrum of a mode-locked laser and how it relies on continuum generation.
Causality Between Revenues and Expenditures and the Size of the Federal Budget

Recent legislation has reduced federal tax rates and provided for indexation of the personal income tax against inflation. These changes are in part designed to reduce the relative size of government in the U.S. economy. Testing assump tions behind this proposition, this article examines the causal relation between revenue and expenditure changes in explainingfederal budget growth. Statistical causality tests reveal that revenue growth generally precedes expenditure growth, confirming that growth in revenue capacity stimulates budget expan sion rather than deficit reduction. A trivariate causal model including GNP, however, suggests that both demand and supply factors are responsible for the budget's growth.
Comparison of sperm separation methods: effect on recovery, motility, motion parameters, and hyperactivation.

Abstract Objective: To compare the Enhance (Percoll; Conception Technologies, San Diego, CA) and PureSperm (Gen X International, Madison, CT) sperm preparation methods with respect to recovery (percentage of motile sperm), motility (%), path and progressive velocities (μm/s), and hyperactivation (%). Design: Comparison of sperm processing methods. Setting: University medical center–based clinical andrology laboratory and infertility program. Patient(s): Twenty-five men who presented for semen analysis. Intervention(s): Each of 25 semen specimens were divided and each aliquot was prepared using two different density gradient centrifugation methods. Main Outcome Measure(s): The motile sperm recovery, percent motility, motion parameters, and percent hyperactivation were measured for each semen specimen (n = 25) before and after separation with the use of the two methods. Result(s): There was no difference in the percent motility and motile count between specimens prepared with Enhance (Percoll) and PureSperm and fresh specimens. Statistically significant differences were found (fresh versus test) in the velocities and in hyperactivation (PureSperm only), and no differences were found between the processing methods. Conclusion(s): PureSperm appears to be as effective as Percoll (Enhance) for the recovery of good, progressively motile sperm for use in IUI or other assisted reproductive techniques.
Defining the Comedia: On Generalizations Once Widely Accepted That Are No Longer Accepted So Widely

How we think about the Spanish comedia as a genre has changed dramatically over the past thirty years. Informed as we are today by a multitude of decentralizing theories, it is hard to believe that so much time and energy was spent, just a generation ago, on trying to establish a list of characteristics and generalizations that would not just define all comedias and exclude those that one would intuitively not include in the genre, but would provide the singular, monolithic approach to understanding the comedia . The assertions reconsidered here include the claims that the comedia was monolithic and conventional, that it faithfully reflected Spanish society, that it was profoundly conservative from social, political, and moral points of view, and that comedia plots uniformly followed a trajectory from order disturbed to order restored. Since many of those assertions are no longer held to be so incontrovertibly true, it is tempting to ask, "Were we wrong then or are we wrong now?" Such a question falls into the trap of assuming that one interpretation or one approach to literature is right and all others are wrong. Ultimately every generation must reconsider everything it knows about the literature that is handed down to it and come to its own conclusions, its own generalizations, and its own definitions. Otherwise, literature, especially that produced centuries ago, runs the risk of becoming irrelevant to readers of future generations.
Accessory Brains (Extracerebral Heterotopias): Unusual Prenatal Intracranial Mass Lesions

Prenatal ultrasonographic evidence of intracranial mass lesions generally results in a diagnosis of primary glial or primitive neuroectodermal neoplasm. We describe two infants, one who was stillborn at 25 weeks' estimated gestational age and one term infant who was born live and died shortly after birth with large intracranial space-occupying lesions that exerted significant mass effect. At autopsy, large soft-tissue spheres of partially organized brain tissue containing neurons, astrocytes, oligodendroglia, ependyma, and choroid plexus were found adjacent to intact, fully formed cerebral hemispheres with normal brain stems and cerebelli within the cranial cavity. We have termed these extracerebral heterotopias "accessory brains." The telencephalic vesicles arise as lateral outpouchings at the rostral end of the developing embryo during the 5th week of embryogenesis. These accessory brains may arise embryologically from an accessory third evagination inferior to the telencephalic vesicles.
On the stability of Volterra integral equations with a lagging argument

Stability properties of numerical methods for Volterra integral equations with lagging argument are considered. Some suitable definitions for the stability of the numerical methods are included, and plots of the stability regions for particular cases are included.
Folate-functionalized dendrimers for targeting Chlamydia-infected tissues in a mouse model of reactive arthritis.

Abstract Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular human pathogen that causes a sexually transmitted disease which may result in an inflammatory arthritis designated Chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis (ReA). The arthritis develops after dissemination of infected cells from the initial site of chlamydial infection. During Chlamydia-associated ReA, the organism may enter into a persistent infection state making treatment with antibiotics a challenge. We hypothesize that folate receptors (FR), which are overexpressed in Chlamydia-infected cells, and the associated inflammation would allow folate-targeted nanodevices to better treat infections. To investigate this, we developed a folate-PAMAM dendrimer–Cy5.5 conjugate (D–FA–Cy5.5), where Cy5.5 is used as the near-IR imaging agent. Uptake of D–FA–Cy5.5 upon systemic administration was assessed and compared to non-folate conjugated controls (D–Cy5.5), using a mouse model of Chlamydia-induced ReA, and near-IR imaging. Our results suggested that there was a higher concentration of folate-based nanodevice in sites of infection and inflammation compared to that of the control nanodevice. The folate-conjugated nanodevices localized to infected paws and genital tracts (major sites of inflammation and infection) at 3–4 fold higher concentrations than were dendrimer alone, suggesting that the overexpression of folate receptors in infected and inflamed tissues enables higher dendrimer uptake. There was an increase in uptake into thymus, spleen, and lung, but no significant differences in the uptake of the folate nanodevices in other organs including kidney and heart, indicating the 'relative specificity' of the D–FA–Cy5.5 conjugate nanodevices. These results suggest that folate targeting dendrimers are able to deliver drugs to attenuate infection and associated inflammation in Chlamydia-induced ReA.
Anesthesia for laryngoplasty with or without sacculectomy in 85 draft horses: comparison with 322 Thoroughbreds.

The few references in the literature concerning chemical restraint and anesthesia in the draft breeds suggest their response to drugs may be more profound than the light breeds, and their large size may make them prone to postoperative complications. The anesthesia records of 85 draft horses (D) and 322 Thoroughbreds (T) anesthetized for laryngoplasty, with or without sacculectomy, from 1991 through 1998 were compared. All horses received xylazine or detomidine as the primary sedative. Some horses received multiple doses of xylazine. In addition, some horses were given acepromazine and/or butorphanol. All horses received guaifenesin, except two draft horses and four Thoroughbreds. All horses were induced with ketamine; most also received thiopental. Fifteen percent of Thoroughbreds and 48% of draft horses were anesthetized with isoflurane. The remainder received halothane. Data were compared using Student's t-test with p < 0.05 considered significant. Significantly lower doses (mean ± SEM) of xylazine were given to draft breeds compared to the Thoroughbreds, whether a single or multiple doses were required (single dose: D 0.41 ± 0.02 mg kg−1, T 0.48 ± 0.01 mg kg−1; multiple doses: D 0.56 ± 0.03 mg kg−1, T 0.69 ± 0.02 mg kg−1). This was also true for horses given acepromazine and/or butorphanol. Doses of butorphanol (D 0.009 ± 0.0006 mg kg−1, T 0.01 ± 0.0005 mg kg−1), guaifenesin (D 22 ± 0.7 mg kg−1, T 36 ± 0.6 mg kg−1), ketamine (D 2.2 ± 0.05 mg kg−1, T 2.5 ± 0.02 mg kg−1), and thiopental (D 0.6 ± 0.03 mg kg−1, T 0.7 ± 0.02 mg kg−1) were significantly lower in the draft breeds. When the drug doses were converted to metabolic size (kg3/4), only the guaifenesin dose remained significantly lower (D 122 ± 4 mg kg3/4 T 170 ± 3 mg kg3/4). Anesthesia time was significantly shorter in the draft horses (D 86 ± 1 minutes, T 119 ± 2 minutes). Time from the end of anesthesia to standing was not different between groups. Five (5.8%) draft horses suffered postoperative complications, including two myopathies, two neuropathies and one prolonged recovery. Four (1.2%) Thoroughbreds had complications, including three myopathies and one neuropathy. The draft horses require lower doses of many sedatives and anesthetics compared to the Thoroughbreds (on a mg kg−1 basis), but when doses are adjusted for metabolic size, this holds true only for guaifenesin. The incidence of postoperative complications is greater in draft horses.
Fatal Myocardial Degeneration in an Adult Quarter Horse with Vitamin E Deficiency

Abstract A carcass of an adult female Quarter Horse that spontaneously died was received for general investigation at the veterinary diagnostic laboratory of North Dakota State University. Routine necropsy examination demonstrated multiple pale and firm foci in the heart that were histologically consistent with severe myocardial degeneration/necrosis and fibrosis. Analysis of a liver sample confirmed a suboptimal vitamin E level and a selenium value that was within reference range. Because there was no anamnestic indication for ingestion of cardiotoxic plants or evidence of other etiologic factors, vitamin E deficiency was concluded to have led to the development of the myocardial lesions, which precipitated acute heart failure resulting in sudden death.
Epigenetic regulation of maspin expression in human ovarian carcinoma cells.

Abstract Objective. Maspin expression is often deregulated in human cancer cells compared to their normal cells due to loss of epigenetic control. In contrast to normal human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) cells, ovarian carcinoma cells display a gain of maspin mRNA expression. The objective of this study was to determine whether gain of maspin expression in ovarian cancer is governed by epigenetic mechanisms. Methods. We examined the cytosine methylation and chromatin accessibility status of the maspin promoter in normal HOSE cells and ovarian carcinoma cells with real-time RT-PCR, sodium bisulfite genomic sequencing, and chromatin accessibility assays. 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) was used to induce demethylation of the maspin promoter. Ad p53 was used to induce transient overexpression of wild-type p53. Results. Normal HOSE cells were maspin -negative in association with methylation of the maspin promoter. In the maspin -positive ovarian cancer cell lines, the maspin promoter was unmethylated. Increased maspin expression in ovarian carcinoma cells was accompanied by a more accessible chromatin structure in the maspin promoter. In the maspin -negative ovarian cancer cell line A222, maspin could be induced following 5-aza-dC treatment or by forced overexpression of p53. Conclusions. These results suggest that changes in cytosine methylation and chromatin accessibility play an important role in maspin expression in human ovarian carcinoma. Deregulation of maspin expression in ovarian cancer is due to loss of epigenetic control as has been shown in other cancers. This observation provides further evidence of the strict epigenetic control of the maspin gene.
Gaining Insight into Business Telecommunications Students Through the Assessment of Learning Styles

The assessment of student learning styles can be of significant value for developing and evaluating an appropriate mix of pedagogical techniques and activities. With this in mind, learning style preferences were collected from over 300 undergraduate business telecommunications students. These set of data show that a breadth of learning style profiles are exhibited by undergraduate business telecommunications students. Most importantly, this article demonstrates a process to evaluate whether or not the current course structure either favors or disadvantages any particular learning style profile. Because there are many learning style profiles present, the evidence that no single profile is disadvantaged gives the instructor confidence in the mix of pedagogical techniques and activities that are employed in this particular course.
Functional and social neighborhood integration of leaseholders relocated into public and private housing by the Chicago Housing Authority's Plan for Transformation

Sociologists have theorized that one of the reasons why concentrated poverty has a negative effect on people living in such circumstances is because it limits social capital. We examine the extent to which different forms of social capital are utilized by leaseholders relocated during the early stages of the Chicago Housing Authority's (CHA) Plan for Transformation. We use data from a survey of CHA leaseholders who have relocated back into public housing or into the private housing market as part of the Plan for Transformation. The analyses showed that use of neighborhood amenities did not vary by housing status. Generally, the level of social interaction was less for those who moved into the private sector when compared to those who had relocated to the public sector. However, social interaction improved as tenure in the private sector increased.
Blue Ribbon Abstract Award: A Systems Approach to Improving Hand Hygiene on an Inpatient Surgery Unit

Abstract ISSUE: Low hand hygiene (HH) adherence rates have been linked to transmission of nosocomial pathogens. We thus set out to improve HH rates among all healthcare workers in an inpatient surgery unit by applying principles of the Toyota Production System to routine work of patient care. PROJECT: Baseline data were obtained by observing healthcare providers during patient encounters, revealing low HH adherence rates. Follow-up surveys, focus groups, and individual conversations were conducted to assess healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about pathogen transmission. Training addressed misunderstanding about the need for HH, hand-sanitizer effectiveness, and appropriate gloving. Improvements were made to the physical environment, including water pressure control and hand sanitizer instructional labeling and location. Assertiveness training addressed cultural barriers that inhibited feedback between healthcare workers regarding HH practice. A sign was placed in each patient room that encouraged patients to remind healthcare workers to perform HH. Staff also received weekly feedback about their unit-specific infection and colonization rates. Follow-up observations were conducted 5 months following initial observations. RESULTS: HH adherence data were collected during observation of 333 pre-intervention patient encounters and 420 post-intervention encounters. During encounters with patients requiring only Standard Precautions, pre-intervention HH adherence upon room entry and exit was 7% and 31%, respectively. Adherence improved to 51% and 70%, respectively, following the intervention (p= LESSONS LEARNED: A systems approach can improve HH if it addresses all the healthcare workers' needs for 1) understanding principles of pathogen transmission; 2) availability of hygiene materials and a supportive physical environment; 3) rapid feedback on results linking HH to patient outcomes; and 4) recognition of cultural factors affecting HH.
Critical length scales for the deformation of amorphous metals containing nanocrystals

Shear localization is studied in simulated amorphous systems containing individual nanocrystalline inclusions. Systematic variation of the inclusion diameter and the shear band thickness reveals a crossover in length scales that separates distinct plastic flow mechanisms in and around the nanocrystalline inclusion. When considered relative to the shear band thickness, small inclusions deform via heterogeneous, interface-dominated mechanisms, while large inclusions yield via the homogeneous nucleation of dislocations in the nanocrystal interior; nanocrystals roughly twice as large as the shear band width are required for the strongest interaction.
The Acoustic Assessment of Nasal Area in Infants

The present study was undertaken to determine whether a modification to commercially available acoustic rhinometry (AR) instrumentation might allow equipment designed for use in adults to accurately determine the nasal cavity configuration of infants and children. The standard wave tube was replaced with a version having a narrow (0.312 cm2) internal diameter. After calibration, this device was used to generate nasal area curves for the nasal cavity of a full term infant cadaver. Direct volume measurements and area measurements of polyvinylsiloxane nasal casts of the same specimen were used to evaluate the accuracy of the acoustic method. AR correlated well with nasal cast data (r = 0.88) for total nasal cavity area. The acoustic method underestimated the total area at the nasal valve by only 1.8 mm2 (22.1 mm2 vs. 23.9 mm2) and overestimated choanal area by 10 mm2 (56.9 mm2 vs 46.9 mm2) compared to data derived from polyvinylsiloxane nasal casts. In addition, AR measured total nasal volume to within 5.2% ...
Impact of Delrin disc: lubricated and dry contacts

Abstract A Delrin disc is used in the Bjork-Shiley tilting disc heart valve (H.L. Milligan, B.M. Johnson and P.A. Engel, ASTM J. Test. Eval., 22 (5) (1994) 474–484; C.G. Montero et al., Ann Thorac. Surg., 37 (4) (1984) 328–336), where dynamic contact occurs between metallic cylindrical struts and the disc, during valve action. To investigate the wear behavior of the Delrin disc, impact wear tests were performed by using a pivotal hammer device with a spherical striking face. For the biomedical wear study (Milligan et al.), raised temperature (36.6°C) and lubrication (simulating blood flow) was always provided, but in the present work both dry and lubricated contacts were investigated in order to compare wear mechanisms. For a small (sharp) indenter radius, plastic deformations of the Delrin occurred under the initial impact cycles. These incremental plastic deformations diminished under subsequent impacts, and were later followed by completely elastic contact, contributing ‘zero wear’. Beyond this region, a measurable wear regime would start. At severe contact stress (sharp indenter), an accelerated wearing pattern was seen to start at some stage during the measurable wear range. Taking into account plastic deformations existing at the beginning of the wear process, the present work discusses an impact wear model. The combined effects of wear, shear friction and crack propagation are discussed.
Boundary points as limit functions of iterated holomorphic function systems

. We show that if c is a boundary point of a non-relatively compact subdomain of the unit disk, there always exists an iterated holomorphic function system with the constant c as a limit function.
Simultaneous determination of morphine and monoamine transmitters in a single mouse brain.

A simple procedure for the simultaneous determination of morphine and monoamine transmitters was developed. The procedure consisted of (1) n-butanol extraction and (2) separation and quantitative determination by means of high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrochemical detection. The maximum intracerebral concentration (210 +/- 35 ng/g wet tissue) of morphine was detected 30 min after intramuscular injection (10 mg/kg), which agreed with previous research. Noradrenaline was significantly decreased by morphine injection, while dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine were unchanged. However, 3-methoxytyramine, a metabolite of dopamine, was increased, suggesting that the drug increased the turnover rate of dopamine. The procedure used revealed a direct correlation between pharmacokinetics (e.g., distribution of morphine) and pharmacodynamics (e.g. changes of monoamine concentrations) of the drug in vivo.
Integrative regulation of leaf morphogenesis by gibberellic and abscisic acids in the aquatic angiosperm proserpinaca palustris L

Abstract A two-hormone system regulating leaf development in the heterophyllous amphibious angiosperm Proserpinaca palustris L. is described. Aerial shoots develop expanded, lanceolate, serrate leaves under long-day photoperiods (LD, 16 h light: 8 h dark), whereas growth under short days (SD, 10 h light: 14 h dark) induces dissected leaf formation. The photoperiodic effect on leaf development of aerial shoots involves changes in endogenous gibberellins (GAs) since plants grown under SD in the presence of GA3 develop expanded lanceolate serrate leaves. However, when submerged, shoots develop highly dissectedaquatic leaves regardless of photoperiod or GA3 treatment. In the present study, submerged plants exposed to 1.0 or 5.0 μM abscisic acid (ABA) developed aerial-type leaves typical of the photoperiod under which they were cultured. Both exogenous ABA (5.0 μM) and GA3 (10 μM) treatments were required for laminar expansion to occur on submerged shoots under SD. It is suggested that (1) leaf development in Proserpinaca is regulated by both endogenous GAs and ABA, and (2) the endogenous status of these phytohormones is modulated by different environmental stimuli of photoperiod and water stress, respectively. The adaptive significance of this mechanism is discussed.
A phase design method for delayed output feedback control of flexible mechanical systems

A systematic phase design method is developed for delay-based output feedback control of flexible mechanical systems. By this method, closed-loop stability and system performance are guaranteed. The design method is a phase planning scheme that makes use of the phase characteristics of different delay and delay-free control units. Together with a minimum destabilizing gain condition, the phase design method yields a sufficient condition of stability for any delay-based output feedback systems. Simulations show that the delay-based output feedback control can gain a wider closed-loop bandwidth than the conventional full state feedback.
Synthesis of distillation systems with energy integration

A formal method is described for the synthesis of multicomponent distillation systems when energy integration is considered between streams both within the separation sequence and in other parts of the process. The pressure in each column is considered as an optimization variable for both the energy integration and column sizing computations. Four rules are used to enumerate all feasible energy matches between the streams associated with the distillation columns. A bounding strategy which uses both upper and lower bounds is combined with dynamic programming to synthesize the optimal distillation sequence with energy integration. A five-component separation problem demonstrates the effectiveness of the methods.
Morphing wing aerodynamic control via macro-fiber-composite actuators in an unmanned aircraft

*† ‡ § ** An experimental, theoretical and computational evaluation of a remotely piloted morphing wing aircraft using smart materials is presented. A type of piezoceramic composite actuator commonly known as Macro Fiber Composite is used for wing morphing. The MFC actuators were implemented on a swept wing, 0.76 m wingspan aircraft. The experimental vehicle was flown using two MFC patches in an elevator/aileron (elevon) configuration. Preliminary testing has proven the stability and control of the design which was presented in the authors’ previous work. Flight tests were performed to quantify roll control using the actuators. Force and moment coefficients were measured in a lowspeed, open section wind tunnel, and a vortex lattice analysis complemented the database of aerodynamic derivatives used to analyze control response. The continuous surface of the MFC actuated composite wing produced lower drag and wider actuation bandwidth.
Proton transport in assemblies of silica colloidal spheres

We studied the proton transport in free-standing assemblies of surface-sulfonated silica nanospheres, either randomly packed or self-assembled into a close-packed arrangement. The transport studies were performed in the absence of solvent, under either dry or high humidity conditions. We demonstrated that colloidal assemblies prepared using surface-sulfonated silica nanospheres possess proton conductivity that depends on the ordering of the material, temperature and relative humidity. Based on the comparison between the close-packed and disordered assemblies made of the same spheres we conclude that the increase in structural organization of the self-assembled colloidal materials leads to increased proton conductivity and better water retention.
Vitamin D and Calcium Absorption: Toward a New Model

The standard model for regulation of calcium absorption identifies ­calcitriol as the vitamin D metabolite responsible for active transport of calcium across the intestinal mucosa, with 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] functioning as the substrate for renal synthesis of calcitriol. However, as experience with measurement of calcium absorption has accumulated, it has become evident that (1) calcitriol is sometimes ineffective in elevating calcium absorption and (2) 25(OH)D is sometimes effective, apparently in its own right. Additionally, supplemental administration of vitamin D or 25(OH)D sometimes increases calcium absorption, and sometimes does not. A new model that integrates the growing number of seemingly contradictory observations is needed. Missing in the current model is the fact of calcium need, which helps to explain many of the discrepancies. Finally, the apparent cooperation of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D may be explainable by sequential binding of both metabolites to different pockets of the vitamin D receptor.
Cross-Layer MAC Enabling Virtual Link for Multi-Hop Routing in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Efficient routing is a fundamental issue in multi-hop wireless ad hoc networks. In this paper, we study the limitation of traditional routing structure in multi-hop wireless ad hoc networks due to (a) the layered structure of a wireless protocol stack and (b) the lack of coordination between medium access control (MAC) and routing protocols. These limitations result in long processing delays in a relay/forwarding node. In order to alleviate these issues, we propose a solution based on cross-layer MAC design, which improves the coordination between MAC and routing layers using an idea we call ``virtual link". The virtual link idea was implemented and tested in an ad hoc wireless network testbed. Experimental results show that the proposed cross-layer design significantly improves the performance in terms of reduced round trip time (RTT), reduced processing time in the intermediate relay/forwarding nodes and increased throughput compared to a legacy architecture.
The Compatibility of Binary Characters on Phylogenetic Networks: Complexity and Parameterized Algorithms

In a recent article, Nakhleh, Ringe and Warnow introduced perfect phylogenetic networks—a model of language evolution where languages do not evolve via clean speciation—and formulated a set of problems for their accurate reconstruction. Their new methodology assumes networks, rather than trees, as the correct model to capture the evolutionary history of natural languages. They proved the NP-hardness of the problem of testing whether a network is a perfect phylogenetic one for characters exhibiting at least three states, leaving open the case of binary characters, and gave a straightforward brute-force parameterized algorithm for the problem of running time O(3 k n), where k is the number of bidirectional edges in the network and n is its size. In this paper, we first establish the NP-hardness of the binary case of the problem. Then we provide a more efficient parameterized algorithm for this case running in time O(2 k n 2). The presented algorithm is very simple, and utilizes some structural results and elegant operations developed in this paper that can be useful on their own in the design of heuristic algorithms for the problem. The analysis phase of the algorithm is very elegant using amortized techniques to show that the upper bound on the running time of the algorithm is much tighter than the upper bound obtained under a conservative worst-case scenario assumption. Our results bear significant impact on reconstructing evolutionary histories of languages—particularly from phonological and morphological character data, most of which exhibit at most two states (i.e., are binary), as well as on the design and analysis of parameterized algorithms.
The Mobility and Rootedness of Authority in Ancient South Central Africa

In south central Africa, villages are called the “place of” a leader, suggesting that authority lies in claims to both people and spaces. However, the larger territory in which villages shift and the capacity of households to move to cut out new agricultural fields implies that control over mobility within a space was equally essential to leadership. Foundational models in African Studies, such as Kopytoff’s internal African frontier and wealth in people alert us to the political potential of dissenters to vote with their feet, but do little to help us understand how leaders, themselves, might have taken advantage of the political potential of human mobility to buttress their own authority. Rather than imagining leaders as struggling to hold back the flood of potential emigrants, we might well ask: what did mobility offer leaders? I analyze the history of Bantu vocabularies reflecting the socialized nature of the landscape and movement (village, homestead, abandoned site, uninhabited “bush”; walking, shifting house, homesickness) and link them to the historical development of vocabularies of authority and social ties (lineage head, first-comer; lineage, friendship, clanship) in order to trace the long and changing history of ideas that linked authority to movement in south central Africa.
The Recursive Unsolvability of the Decision Problem for the Class of Definite Formulas

A class of formulas of the first-order predicate calculus, the definite formulas has recently been proposed as the formal representation of the “reasonable” questions to put to a computer in the context of an actual data retrieval system, the Relational Data File of Levien and Maron. It is shown here that the decision problem for the class of definite formulas is recursively unsolvable. Hence there is no algorithm to decide whether a given formula is definite.
Annotation for System Engineering of Large, Complex, Real-Time Systems

The system engineering of large complex real-time systems is critical since it provides an integrated view and analysis of the system under design. However, to date, most methods and techniques have focused on the implementation aspects of real-time systems (hardware engineering, software engineering, human computer interaction). A number of methods exist at the system engineering level; however, they concentrate on the structure versus the attributes of the system. Computer aided software engineering (CASE) and system engineering tools tend to focus only on the structural aspects of the system as related to performance. Efforts, such as the IEEE Computer Base System Engineering (CBSE) Task Force are also currently concentrating on system design structure. However, in real-time systems, the design is also dependent on many other attributes. Current methods lack the ability to formal annotate and analyze factors which have nonstructural components.
Characterization of the cDNA and genomic sequence of a G protein gamma subunit (gamma 5).

Abstract A cDNA from human placenta and liver tissues that contained both sequence for the lysosomal glycosidase di-N-acetylchitobiase and sequence homologous to the gamma subunit of GTP-binding proteins was previously isolated. Here we have shown that the gamma-subunit-homologous portion of this unusual cDNA is derived from a member of the gamma-subunit multigene family. The partial human gamma-subunit sequence was used to isolate the corresponding full-length cDNA clones from bovine and rat livers. The two cDNAs encode identical 68-amino-acid proteins (7.3 kDa) homologous to previously cloned G protein gamma subunits. The bovine gene sequence encoding this new gamma-subunit isoform (gamma 5) was determined and found to have an intron-exon structure consistent with the original human chitobiase-gamma 5-subunit hybrid mRNA being a product of alternative splicing. Genomic cloning also resulted in the isolation of a human gamma 5 pseudogene.
Efficient, Fair, and Incomprehensible: How the State “Sells” Its Judiciary

Socio-legal scholars often approach dispute resolution from the perspective of the disputants, emphasizing how the resources on each side shape the course of conflict. We suggest a different, “supply-side,” perspective. Focusing on the state's efforts to establish centralized courts in place of local justice systems, we consider the strategies that a supplier of dispute resolving services uses to attract disputes for resolution. We argue that state actors often attempt to “sell” centralized courts to potential litigants by insisting that the state's services are more efficient and fair than local courts operating outside direct state control. Moreover, we argue that state actors also invest significant energy in claiming that the local courts are incomprehensible. Thus, in its efforts to introduce and advance centralized courts, the state argues not only that it offers the best version of what the citizenry wants, but also that it is impossible to conceive that people would want something other than what the state offers. We illustrate our argument and explain its significance by examining judicial reform in New York, where there has been a decades-long effort to displace local justice systems.
Idioventricular Tachycardia Complicating Experimental Myocardial Infarction

The frequent occurrence of idioventricular tachycardia has been documented during the evolution of experimental myocardial infarction in the dog, complementing such observations in humans. The nonvulnerability to fibrillation and the benign hemodynamic nature of this type of ventricular tachycardia is stressed. The influence of the rate of the supraventricular pacemaker on the emergence of this arrhythmia has been demonstrated and the recognition of this arrhythmia with regard to the effect of antiarrhythmic agents has been emphasized.
A study of processes that govern the maintenance of aerosols in the marine boundary layer

Abstract We systematically evaluate the relative influence of sources and sinks of particles in the remote marine boundary layer (MBL) to elucidate the principal factors that govern MBL aerosol behavior. Processes considered include: (1) surface flux of dimethyl sulfide (DMS); (2) gas-phase oxidation of DMS to SO 2 ; (3) gas-phase oxidation of SO 2 to H 2 SO 4 ; (4) mass transfer of SO 2 and H 2 SO 4 to pre-existing particles; (5) homogenous nucleation of H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O; (6) entrainment of air from the free troposphere; (7) deposition to the sea surface; (8) cycling of air through clouds and rain scavenging; (9) oxidation of SO 2 in sea salt aerosols and cloud droplets; and (10) sea-salt particle production at sea surface. The average aerosol number concentration is found to be quite sensitive to the rate of entrainment of aerosol-containing air from the free troposphere. The path that leads to the greatest accumulation of non-sea-salt (nss) sulfate involves SO 2 (rather than H 2 SO 4 ) absorption into existing particles. Because of scavenging of SO 2 and H 2 SO 4 by sea-salt aerosol, a considerable fraction of nss-sulfate is internally mixed with sea-salt aerosol. Under the conditions assumed in this study, MBL aerosol number concentration is dominated by free tropospheric aerosol under virtually all conditions, 89% in the base case, and even 69% at a 17 m s -1 wind speed. Aerosol mass, on the other hand, is dominated by sea-salt particles, 62% in the base case and 98% at a wind speed of 17 m s -1 . Evaporation of cloud droplets provides 4.6% of the particle number in the base case, but 28% of the particle mass. At the high nucleation rate case considered here, there is notably little change in the overall contributions to aerosol number and mass from the base case; only about 5% of the total particle number is provided by nucleation events. Variation in precipitation frequency also has only a minor effect on the overall contributions. One concludes that the MBL aerosol is remarkably robust in the face of ever-changing conditions. Free tropospheric aerosol entrainment tends to sustain particle number concentrations, and sea-salt emissions maintain most of the aerosol mass. Cloud processing, while not a major contributor to aerosol number, does provide, except under high wind conditions, the order of 20% of the aerosol mass. Although nucleation occurs only infrequently and does not contribute appreciably to long-term average aerosol number or mass, nucleation is, nonetheless, the mechanism that replenishes aerosol number in brief, intense episodes when aerosol surface area levels are substantially reduced by precipitation.
Mothering Through Addiction: A Survival Strategy among Puerto Rican Addicts

In this article, the importance of motherhood in the lives of Puerto Rican addicts is examined. Using a life history method, the authors interviewed 20 Latina females in various stages of recovery from addiction to crack-cocaine or heroin. Their lives as mothers took place in a context of poverty, marginalization, and abuse. Motherhood provided an identity and a line of work that grounded them amidst this dislocation. As their life options became more restricted over time, motherhood provided a lifeline through addiction and into recovery. While using drugs, they relied on a number of strategies to maintain mothering. In recovery, children became the markers of success in a treatment program. These findings challenge public images of female addicts as parents.
Release from incarceration, relapse to opioid use and the potential for buprenorphine maintenance treatment: a qualitative study of the perceptions of former inmates with opioid use disorder

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world (937 per 100,000 adults). Approximately one-third of heroin users pass through correctional facilities annually. Few receive medication assisted treatment (MAT; either methadone or buprenorphine) for opioid use disorder during incarceration, and nearly three-quarters relapse to heroin use within 3 months of release. This qualitative study investigated barriers to and facilitators of buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT) following release from incarceration (“re-entry”). We conducted 21 semistructured interviews of former inmates with opioid use disorder recruited from addiction treatment settings. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged upon iterative readings of transcripts were discussed by the research team. Participants reported adverse re-entry conditions, including persistent exposure to drug use and stressful life events, which were perceived to contribute to opioid relapse and affected addiction treatment decisions during re-entry. Themes that emerged relating to BMT included: 1) reliance on willpower; 2) fear of dependency on medications; 3) variable exposure to buprenorphine; and 4) acceptability of BMT following relapse. Willpower was perceived to be more important for recovery than medications. Many participants experienced painful withdrawal from methadone during incarceration and were fearful that using MAT would lead to opioid tolerance and painful withdrawal again in the future. Participants reported both positive and negative experiences taking illicit buprenorphine, which affected interest in BMT. Overall, BMT was perceived to be a good treatment option for opioid use disorder that could reduce the risk of re-incarceration. BMT was perceived to be acceptable, but former inmates with opioid use disorder may be reluctant to utilize BMT upon re-entry. Factors limiting utilization of BMT could be mitigated though policy change or interventions. Policies of the criminal justice system (e.g., forced detoxification) may be dissuading former inmates from utilizing effective treatments for opioid use disorder. Interventions that improve education and access to BMT for former inmates with opioid use disorder could facilitate entrance into treatment. Both policy changes and interventions are urgently needed to reduce the negative consequences of opioid relapse following re-entry.
Distributed environmental monitoring using random sensor networks

We present a distributed algorithm for environmental monitoring of a scalar field (such as temperature, intensity of light, atmospheric pressure, etc.) using a random sensor network.We derive an error estimate, discuss the average complexity of the algorithm, and present some simulation results.
Venous malformation of the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to present a rare case of a venous malformation that occupied the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses. Prior to resection, it was believed to be a hemangioma. Methods This study includes a case report and review of the literature. Conclusion There is often confusion between “hemangiomas” and “vascular malformations,” but they are important to differentiate because they have unique approaches to treatment. Venous malformations in the paranasal sinuses are very rare. To our knowledge, this is the first case report that explicitly describes a venous malformation in the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses. It was treated using endoscopic sinus surgery with intraoperative computer-assisted stereotactic navigation.
Irradiation of meningiomas of the intracranial anterior visual pathway

Twenty patients with progressive visual loss caused by intracranial meningiomas involving the anterior visual pathway were treated with irradiation alone (n = 4) or with irradiation combined with tumor excision (n = 16). Improvement in visual performance occurred in 13 patients; 2 patients experienced temporary improvement; and 5 others maintained stable visual function for up to 9.5 years (mean follow-up, 4.0 years). Radiotherapy seemed to have no effect in 2 patients. One patient experienced temporary improvement, but eventually died from spread of tumor. Only one definite complication of radiotherapy occurred and was related to excessive radiation dose (greater than 7,000 cGy). Irradiation in the range of 5,000 to 5,500 cGy was effective either alone or in combination with surgical excision. Serial assessment of visual acuity and fields allowed us to demonstrate and quantify improvement in our patients following radiotherapy; in contrast, follow-up computed tomographic studies rarely demonstrated reduced tumor size.