cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Truck Driver Behavior with Respect to Cell Phone Use and Vehicle Operation

Abstract Distracted driving continues to pose threats to transportation safety as it impairs driver performance and increases crash risk. In recent years, cell phone use while driving has become the primary research interest regarding distracted driving. However, the majority of this research has focused on the prevalence and risks of such behavior in passenger car drivers and few have investigated its effect on the performance of drivers of large trucks. Due to the inherent job responsibilities, truck drivers are more susceptible to use a cell phone, or other communication devices (e.g., CB radio), while driving to coordinate delivery logistics. The purpose of this study is to further understand distracted driving in the context of large trucks by identifying the factors that contribute to large truck drivers’ decision to report using a cell phone while operating a commercial motor vehicle. Through survey data collected in 2017 from drivers of large trucks who either pick-up or deliver goods in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia), a random parameters binary logit model is used to identify these factors. Of the 515 respondents, 234 (45%) indicated that they use a cell phone while driving. Through the random parameters binary logit model, unobserved heterogeneity is captured, and specific driver behaviors, demographic, work, temporal, and management characteristics are found to affect the likelihood of truck drivers reporting to use their cell phone while driving. Of particular interest, are carrier management characteristics and safety training. Carriers who manage fatigue by imposing schedules to make it easier to take breaks result in a decrease in probability of drivers reporting cell phone use, while carriers who restrict the number of hours worked decreased the probability of reporting cell phone use for the majority of drivers. In addition, having participated in road safety driving resulted in a decrease in probability of reporting cell phone use for the majority of drivers. Such findings have the potential to aid government agencies and commercial motor vehicle carriers in understanding the factors influencing cell phone use while driving among truck drivers. Understanding these motives can aid in the development of programs and policy initiatives that are intended to mitigate distracted driving among truck drivers.
Molecular-level analysis of the wetting behavior of imidazolium-based ionic liquids on bismuth telluride surfaces

Abstract Bismuth telluride is among the most studied thermoelectric materials. Its performance, which is among the highest around room temperature, is dependent on exfoliation to thin nanosheets. While previous research has examined the exfoliation mechanism by ionic liquids (ILs), this study provides more detailed information about the solid-liquid interface, including predicted values for IL contact angles (θ) on Bi2Te3. Molecular dynamics simulations are employed to compute θ and other properties of interest, including mass and charge ordering, adsorption energy, and electrostatic potential. All properties save the latter are strongly dependent on anion size and slightly dependent on cation size. The IL contact angles display a wide range of values, from 97.7° for the smallest ions to 53.2° for the largest ions. An analysis of the molecular-level interactions in these systems serves to explain this behavior, and they indicate that reduced cohesive interactions in bulkier liquids are primarily responsible.
Utilizing field collected insects for next generation sequencing: Effects of sampling, storage, and DNA extraction methods.

DNA sequencing technologies continue to advance the biological sciences, expanding opportunities for genomic studies of non-model organisms for basic and applied questions. Despite these opportunities, many next generation sequencing protocols have been developed assuming a substantial quantity of high molecular weight DNA (>100 ng), which can be difficult to obtain for many study systems. In particular, the ability to sequence field-collected specimens that exhibit varying levels of DNA degradation remains largely unexplored. In this study we investigate the influence of five traditional insect capture and curation methods on Double-Digest Restriction Enzyme Associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing success for three wild bee species. We sequenced a total of 105 specimens (between 7-13 specimens per species and treatment). We additionally investigated how different DNA quality metrics (including pre-sequence concentration and contamination) predicted downstream sequencing success, and also compared two DNA extraction methods. We report successful library preparation for all specimens, with all treatments and extraction methods producing enough highly reliable loci for population genetic analyses. Although results varied between species, we found that specimens collected by net sampling directly into 100% EtOH, or by passive trapping followed by 100% EtOH storage before pinning tended to produce higher quality ddRAD assemblies, likely as a result of rapid specimen desiccation. Surprisingly, we found that specimens preserved in propylene glycol during field sampling exhibited lower-quality assemblies. We provide recommendations for each treatment, extraction method, and DNA quality assessment, and further encourage researchers to consider utilizing a wider variety of specimens for genomic analyses.
A sustained-release intracanalicular dexamethasone insert (Dextenza) for pediatric cataract surgery.

We assess the outcomes of a sustained-release intracanalicular dexamethasone insert (Dextenza) in the treatment of postoperative ocular inflammation in children undergoing cataract surgery. Seventeen eyes of 17 children were analyzed. The anterior chamber was clear in 18% of eyes at 1-2 weeks after surgery. A spike in intraocular pressure requiring intervention was observed in 18% of eyes. Rescue medications using topical steroids were required in 29% of eyes. Our initial experience suggests that the dexamethasone insert reduced or eliminated the need for postoperative steroid drops.
Dreaming in Black: Middle-class Blacks' aspirational consumption

When Blacks think about making it big, do they wish for the same types of things as other Americans? How does their race affect what makes it onto their wish lists? Drawing on interviews with 54 middle‐class Black New Yorkers this paper investigates their imagined future consumption. The findings reveal that for most middle‐class Blacks their combined race and class status influenced how they envisioned their aspirational consumption. By analyzing their aspirational consumption, it became clear that they were embedded in a materialistic society that links the achievement of the American Dream with the acquisition of specific things. Yet for many middle‐class Blacks their aspirational consumption also departed from traditional individualist goals, as their commitment to racial uplift was evident in their aspirational consumption. However, there was a small group for whom the pleasure and status that comes from the acquisition of material possessions weighted heavily in their consumption fantasies.
Non-pharmacological interventions for depression among survivors of adverse childhood experiences: A meta-analysis

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with various mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, drug abuse, and suicide-related behaviors. Yet, it is largely unknown if non-pharmacological interventions are beneficial in improving mental health among ACEs survivors. The purposes of the current meta-analysis were to: (1) evaluate the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions in reducing depressive symptom severity among those exposed to ACEs, and, (2) estimate the pooled effect size of these interventions. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for randomized controlled trials of psychological interventions for depression among ACEs survivors. Two reviewers independently extracted article data and evaluated the quality of studies using the Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria. We estimated the pooled effect sizes using a random-effects model. We also performed sensitivity tests using a meta-regression and sub-group analyses. Using the pooled data of 1624 individuals from 20 unique RCTs, we found that non-pharmacological intervention had a medium to large effect size in reducing depressive symptom severity compared to control conditions (Hedges’ g = 0.714, 95% CI [0.46, 0.97]). Such efficacy was sustained over the shorter-term follow-up (0 to 6 months; Hedges’ g = 0.23, 95% CI [0.04, 0.49]). Although there was an indication that the efficacy may be sustained in the longer term (12 months or more; Hedges’ g = 0.53, 95% CI: [−0.17, 1.22]), this finding was not statistically significant. Cognitive approaches had a larger effect size than noncognitive interventions. In conclusion, non-pharmacological interventions are efficacious options for treating depression among individuals with a history of adverse childhood experiences.
The Lyric Poem and Aestheticism: Forms of Modernity

Lyric poetry's response to a crisis of relevance in Victorian Modernity.This study explores lyric poetry's response to a crisis of relevance in Victorian Modernity, offering an analysis of literature usually elided by studies of the modern formation of the genre and uncovering previously unrecognized discourses within it. Setting the focal aestheticist poetry (c. 1860 to 1914) within much broader historical, theoretical and aesthetic frames, it speaks to those interested in Victorian and modernist literature and culture, but also to a burgeoning audience of the 'new lyric studies'. The six case studies introduce fresh poetic voices as well as giving innovative analyses of canonical writers (such as D. G. Rossetti, Ezra Pound, A. C. Swinburne).Key FeaturesChallenges and transforms existing narratives of the modern formation of the 'lyric' genre through engagement with a body of work that larger-scale genre histories elideOffers innovative analysis of aestheticist poetry from the 1860s to the early years of the twentieth centuryProvides three fresh theoretical frames to examine the relationship between poetry and modernityIncludes case studies featuring a range of literary figures such as D. G. Rossetti, Alice Meynell, Thomas Hardy, Michael Field, Arthur Symons, A. C. Swinburne and Ezra Pound
Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the neutralizing antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection.

Bamlanivimab and etesevimab are neutralizing antibodies indicated for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with early mild or moderate disease. We present the use of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling that characterizes the timecourse of viral load obtained from 2,970 patients from 2 phase II clinical trials. The model was used for identification of optimal doses that would result in at least 90% of patients achieving serum drug concentrations that result in 90% of maximum drug effect (IC90) for at least 28 days. The serum IC90 (95% confidence interval) was estimated to be 4.2 (3.2-4.3) µg/mL for bamlanivimab and 12.6 (9.7-12.8) µg/mL for etesevimab. Observed clinical trial data confirmed PK and PK/PD model predictions that doses of 700 mg bamlanivimab and 1,400 mg etesevimab would result in maximum reduction in viral load, with no additional effect seen at higher doses. No dose adjustment is recommended as age, sex, race, baseline viral load, and hepatic impairment did not have a significant impact on the PK of the antibodies. Earlier drug administration resulted in greater reductions in viral load, demonstrating the importance of receiving treatment as soon as possible. Relative to placebo, typical reduction in viral load over a 7-day period was estimated to be 80 or 93% (drug administered 4 days or 1 day after the onset of symptoms, respectively), P < 0.0001. PK/PD modeling and simulation was pivotal throughout the drug development and emergency use authorization process.
The metabolic depression and revival of purple urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) in response to macroalgal availability

Abstract Organisms can reduce their metabolism and/or decrease energy allocation to reproduction in order to survive starvation during extended periods of food limitation. This is especially important for coastal rocky reefs where widespread kelp deforestation has become increasingly common in recent decades. This deforestation often results in the formation of urchin barrens that have high densities of herbivorous sea urchins and little macroalgae for them to consume. While it is known that these barrens can persist for years to decades, and it has been suggested that urchins can reduce their metabolisms and/or consume microalgae during these periods, the mechanisms that allow for such prolonged survival in adverse conditions, and if these are mechanisms are reversible are not entirely understood. Here, we provide experimental evidence to show that urchin metabolism and gonad mass both decrease significantly when the urchins are deprived of macroalgae, and that these urchins regain normal metabolic activity and gonad masses when access to this food resource is restored. Our results have important implications for consumers in other ecosystems where access to energetic resources is spatially or temporally variable and can point to new avenues of research to explain how organisms adjust their energetic needs to survive extended periods of starvation.
Psychometric properties of the 7-item version of the Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report Scale for rural adults enrolled in an Internet-delivered self-help program for depression.

PURPOSE Monitoring suicide risk in clinical practice requires valid and reliable assessment instruments. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the 7-item version of the Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report, CHRT-SR7 in a primarily rural population. METHODS The sample comprised 788 participants (81.7% female) of an effectiveness trial of an internet-based self-help intervention for depression. Participants completed self-report questionnaires, including the CHRT-SR7 , Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Work and Social Adjustment Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, and Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Care. Four-week test-retest reliability was calculated for a subsample of 147 participants randomized to a waitlist control group. FINDINGS The CHRT-SR7 internal consistency was α = 0.80 (total sample), α = 0.80 (women), and α = 0.83 (men). The 4-week test-retest reliability was strong for women (r = 0.78) and moderate for men (r = 0.66). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original 3-factor solution: Hopelessness (2 items), Perceived Lack of Social Support (2 items), and Current Suicidal Thoughts and Plans (3 items), which was invariant across gender and rural status. Convergent and divergent validity was supported as reflected in significant correlations of the CHRT-SR7 and its subscales with measures of depression, anxiety, adjustment, and resilience. Limitations include the limited demographic diversity (mostly non-Hispanic White women) and reliance on self-report data. CONCLUSIONS Our findings complement those reported in prior studies of patients with severe depression and support the use of the CHRT-SR7 for measuring suicide risk in rural adults; future studies should further test the instrument's psychometric properties in racial or ethnic minority rural residents.
A Role for the Microtubular System in the Release of Very Low Density Lipoproteins by Perfused Mouse Livers

Normal mouse livers have been perfused in situ and the release of triglycerides in the perfusate has been measured as an index of very low density lipoprotein secretion. Vincristine or colchicine, drugs known to interfere with the microtubular system, were found to inhibit markedly triglyceride release by perfused livers. When used at appropriate concentrations these drugs did not change glucose production, ureogenesis, ATP levels, or oxygen consumption. The uptake and oxidation of fatty acids by livers perfused with either drugs remained unaffected. Labeled oleate incorporation into total triglycerides (i.e. liver plus perfusate) as well as that of labeled amino acids into total proteins were not changed by vincristine or colchicine. The ultrastructure of livers perfused with these drugs appeared normal except that the microtubules could no longer be observed. Concomitantly numerous clusters of vesicles were observed in vincristine- or colchicine-treated livers. In the presence of vincristine (not in that of colchicine) these vesicles were very often seen in close relationship with amorphous masses interpreted as being precipitated microtubular proteins. It is concluded that the functional integrity of microtubules is important for the intracellular movement and eventual release of very low density lipoprotein particles. The additional observation that total protein secretion by the liver was also markedly inhibited by vincristine or colchicine further suggests that microtubules may also play a role in the release of albumin or globulins.
Integrated modeling of business value and software processes

Business value attainment should be a key consideration when designing software processes. Ideally they are structured to meet organizational business goals, but it is usually difficult to integrate the process and business perspectives quantitatively. This research uses modeling and simulation to assess process tradeoffs for business case analysis. A model for commercial software enterprises relates the dynamics between product specifications, investment costs, schedule, software quality practices, market size, license retention, pricing and revenue generation. The system dynamics model allows one to experiment with different product strategies, software processes, marketing practices and pricing schemes while tracking financial measures over time. It can be used to determine the appropriate balance of process activities to meet goals. Examples are shown for varying scope, reliability, delivery of multiple releases, and determining the quality sweet spot for different time horizons. Results show that optimal policies depend on various stakeholder value functions, opposing market factors and business constraints. Future model improvements are also identified.
Relative Contribution of Likelihood and Severity of Injury to Risk Perceptions

The degree of caution that people are willing to take for a given product is largely determined by their perceptions of the risk associated with that product. Research suggests that risk perceptions are determined by the objective likelihood or probability of encountering potential hazards (Slovic, Fischhoff, and Lichtenstein, 1979). However, there is also research suggesting that objective likelihood plays little or no role in determining risk perceptions. Rather, risk is determined by the subjective dimension of the hazard or in other words, the severity of injury (Wogalter, Desaulniers and Brelsford, 1986, 1987). The present research examined aspects of these two studies in an attempt to reconcile the observed differences. Subjects evaluated either the Wogalter et al. (1986, 1987) products or the Slovic et al. (1979) items on eight rating questions. Results demonstrated that severity of injury was the foremost predictor of perceived risk for the Wogalter products, but that likelihood of injury was prim...
Mutual Optimism as a Rationalist Explanation of War

Blainey (1988) popularized the argument that crises are more likely to end in war when two nations disagree about their relative bargaining power. This is known as the mutual optimism cause of war. Fey and Ramsay (2007) argue that existing models of crisis bargaining cannot properly evaluate this explanation. They propose an alternative class of models with features they claim are better suited for the purpose, and prove that war cannot occur with positive probability in equilibrium in any model of this class. They conclude that the mutual optimism explanation is logically incoherent. We provide a modern rationalist specification of the mutual optimism explanation using our standard models and defend them against the five allegations Fey and Ramsay make against them. We further show that their result has little to do with optimism but instead depends on two indefensible assumptions: (1) actors can unilaterally avoid war by imposing peace terms on opponents who find them worse than war, and (2) the terms of any peace outcome cannot depend on crisis behavior. Their class of models cannot be used to study crisis bargaining in general and mutual optimism in particular.
Patterns of Cultural Primacy

From 1500 to 900 B.C.E., San Lorenzo in southern Mexico was the largest center in Mesoamerica. What was its cultural role? Did it dominate as a "mother culture" over societies in neighboring states, or did numerous "sister cultures" exchange ideas and objects as equals? In his Perspective, Diehl highlights the report by Blomster et al ., who provide support for the mother culture school but show that things are not quite as simple as these extreme views suggest. In the largest study to date of its kind, the authors compare hundreds of ceramic samples with clays from different areas. They conclude that communities in neighboring states imported ceramics from San Lorenzo, and that potters at some of the foreign sites used local clay to create imitations of Olmec pots.
Comparison of the Electromechanical Effects of Vesnarinone and Amrinone in Isolated Dog Purkinje Strands and Ventricular Trabeculae.

Background: Conventional microelectrode techniques were used to compare the concentration-dependent effects of vesnarinone (0.1-100 μM) and amrinone (1 μM-1 mm) on action potential duration (APD) and developed force in both isolated dog ventricular trabeculae and Purkinje strands.Methods and Results: Both drugs increased contractility of trabecular muscle preparations, while, in Purkinje strands, vesnarinone failed to increase developed force during continuous pacing at 2 Hz. Vesnarinone lengthened APD in both preparations; although this effect was more marked in Purkinje strands. Ventricular muscle APD was not affected by amrinone (1 μM to 1 mM), while, in Purkinje strands, amrinone produced a biphasic effect on APD. Low concentrations (1-100 μM) of amrinone shortened Purkinje fiber APD, while only the highest concentration (1 mM) used lengthened APD. In addition, in Purkinje strand preparations the effects of vesnarinone (10 μM) on APD and developed force were proportional to pacing cycle length at freq...
The local electric field favours more than exposed nitrogen atoms on CO2 capture: a case study on the rht-type MOF platform

Two rht-type metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) based upon the tetrazolate moiety and pyrazolate moiety, respectively, have been investigated for carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption and selective adsorption of CO2 over CH4, which shows that the rht-MOF featuring the pyrazolate moiety demonstrates superior performances compared to the rht-MOF based on the tetrazolate moiety. In spite of more exposed nitrogen atoms in the tetrazolate-based rht-MOF, the counter-intuitive observations of CO2 capture in the two rht-MOFs were interpreted by computational studies, which reveal that the local electric field favours more than the richness of exposed nitrogen atoms for the interactions with CO2 molecules.
The Combined Effects of Grade Retention and Targeted Small-Group Intervention on Students' Literacy Outcomes

This study matched 15 kindergarten and 1st-grade retained students in 7 schools with their promoted peers on grade-level literacy performance. Researchers collected literacy assessments, demographic information, and instruction dosage data. Retained kindergarten students received less intervention and did not benefit academically from retention. Promoted 1st-grade students who received additional small-group interventions showed a nearly significant interaction effect. Results suggest that approximately 2.5 hr per school day of general education and small-group intervention literacy instruction is needed to bring students within average range. The article discusses instructional and policy implications.
Chaos in a mechanism with time delays under parametric and external excitation

Large motions of a one-degree-of-freedom mechanism are analyzed. The mechanism has two stable equilibrium states and an unstable one. It is subjected to a harmonic parametric excitation and an external excitation with one or two harmonic components. A dashpot and a non-linear spring are attached to the mechanism. In some cases the dashpot or spring force has a time delay in its action. The large-time response of the model is determined by numerical integration. It is found that the response may be periodic, chaotic, or unbounded. When it is periodic, its period is compared to that of the excitation.
Evidence of localized wave transmission.

The feasibility of launching an acoustic directed energy pulse train was tested experimentally. Excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental results was obtained.
Self-efficacy and self-reported functional status in coronary heart disease: a six-month prospective study.

Author(s): Sullivan, MD; LaCroix, AZ; Russo, J; Katon, WJ | Abstract: ObjectiveWe examine prospectively the role of specific forms of self-efficacy in the physical and role function for patients with coronary heart disease after controlling for the effects of anxiety and depression.MethodsA 6-month prospective cohort study was conducted after cardiac catheterization of 198 HMO members, demonstrating clinically significant coronary disease. Coronary disease severity was assessed through cardiac catheterization; physical function, role function, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy were assessed through questionnaires.ResultsThe Cardiac Self-Efficacy Scale had two factors (maintain function and control symptoms) with high internal consistency and good convergent and discriminant validity. In multiple regression models, the self-efficacy scales significantly predicted physical function, social function, and family function after controlling for baseline function, baseline anxiety, and other significant correlates.ConclusionsSelf-efficacy to maintain function and to control symptoms helps predict the physical function and role function, after accounting for coronary disease severity, anxiety, and depression in patients with clinically significant coronary disease. Interventions to improve self-efficacy may have a broader applicability in the heart disease population than previously appreciated.
Do women who screen positive for mental disorders in primary care have lower mammography rates

Disparities in mammography rates have been documented for underserved populations, yet no data are available for women with mental illness in primary care settings. We analyzed data on mammography rates for 526 women age 40-70 who were new patients and completed the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD). There were no significant differences in mammography rates among women who screened negative and positive for any mental illness (56% and 53%, respectively). Screening for mental disorders in primary care does not appear to identify women at risk for nonreceipt of mammography.
New technic for stabilization of the flail chest.

Summary A brief review of the problem of the flail chest injury is presented. Satisfactory methods for the management of the majority of these patients are discussed, and a new technic for stabilization of the severe flail chest is reported.
Characterization of Influenza A (H7N9) Viruses Isolated from Human Cases Imported into Taiwan

A novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus causes severe human infections and was first identified in March 2013 in China. The H7N9 virus has exhibited two epidemiological peaks of infection, occurring in week 15 of 2013 and week 5 of 2014. Taiwan, which is geographically adjacent to China, faces a large risk of being affected by this virus. Through extensive surveillance, launched in April 2013, four laboratory-confirmed H7N9 cases imported from China have been identified in Taiwan. The H7N9 virus isolated from imported case 1 in May 2013 (during the first wave) was found to be closest genetically to a virus from wild birds and differed from the prototype virus, A/Anhui/1/2013, in the MP gene. The other three imported cases were detected in December 2013 and April 2014 (during the second wave). The viruses isolated from cases 2 and 4 were similar in the compositions of their 6 internal genes and distinct from A/Anhui/1/2013 in the PB2 and MP genes, whereas the virus isolated from case 3 exhibited a novel reassortment that has not been identified previously and was different from A/Anhui/1/2013 in the PB2, PA and MP genes. The four imported H7N9 viruses share similar antigenicity with A/Anhui/1/2013, and their HA and NA genes grouped together in their respective phylogenies. In contrast with the HA and NA genes, which exhibited a smaller degree of diversity, the internal genes were heterogeneous and provided potential distinctions between transmission sources in terms of both geography and hosts. It is important to strengthen surveillance of influenza and to share viral genetic data in real-time for reducing the threat of rapid and continuing evolution of H7N9 viruses.
GABA receptor-channel complex as a target site of mercury, copper, zinc, and lanthanides.

1. The GABAA receptor-chloride channel complex has been shown to be modulated by a variety of chemicals. Scores of chemicals with diverse and unrelated structures augment the GABA-induced chloride current, while some other chemicals suppress the current. Certain heavy metals and a variety of polyvalent cations increase or decrease the current in a potent and efficacious manner. 2. We have studied the mechanisms whereby mercury, copper, zinc, and lanthanides modulate the GABA system by whole-cell and single-channel patch clamp techniques as applied to the rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in primary culture. 3. Mercuric chloride augmented the GABA-induced current to 115% of control at 0.1 µM and to 270% of control at 100 µM. It also generated a slowly developing inward current carried by a variety of ions. In contrast, methylmercury suppressed the GABA-induced current. The potent stimulation of the GABA system by mercuric chloride is deemed important in mercury intoxication. 4. Copper and zinc suppressed the GABA-induced current with an EC50 of 16 and 19 µM, respectively. They bound to a common site on the external surface of the GABA receptor-channel complex. 5. Lanthanum augmented the GABA-induced current with an EC50 of 230 µM by increasing the affinity of the receptor for GABA. It bound to a site on or near the external surface of the GABA receptor-channel complex which is different from the sites for GABA, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, picrotoxin, and copper/zinc. 6. Six other lanthanides with larger atomic numbers also exerted the same stimulatory effect with their efficacies increasing with the atomic number. 7. Single-channel analyses have revealed that the augmentation of whole-cell current by terbium, a lanthanide, is due to three actions: an increase in the overall mean open time, a decrease in the overall mean closed time, and an increase in the overall mean burst time.
David Hilbert and his mathematical work

A great master of mathematics passed away when David Hilbert died in Gottingen on February the 14th, 1943, at the age of eighty-one. In retrospect it seems to us that the era of mathematics upon which he impressed the seal of his spirit and which is now sinking below the horizon achieved a more perfect balance than prevailed before and after, between the mastering of single concrete problems and the formation of general abstract concepts. Hilbert’s own work contributed not a little to bringing about this happy equilibrium, and the direction in which we have since proceeded can in many instances be traced back to his impulses. No mathematician of equal stature has risen from our generation.
Micropulse Water Vapor Differential Absorption Lidar: Transmitter Design and Performance

An all diode-laser-based micropulse differential absorption lidar (DIAL) laser transmitter for tropospheric water vapor and aerosol profiling is presented. The micropulse DIAL (MPD) transmitter utilizes two continuous wave (cw) external cavity diode lasers (ECDL) to seed an actively pulsed, overdriven tapered semiconductor optical amplifier (TSOA). The MPD laser produces up to 7 watts of peak power over a 1 µs pulse duration (7 µJ) and a 10 kHz pulse repetition frequency. Spectral switching between the online and offline seed lasers is achieved on a 1Hz basis using a fiber optic switch to allow for more accurate sampling of the atmospheric volume between the online and offline laser shots. The high laser spectral purity of greater than 0.9996 coupled with the broad tunability of the laser transmitter will allow for accurate measurements of tropospheric water vapor in a wide range of geographic locations under varying atmospheric conditions. This paper describes the design and performance characteristics of a third generation MPD laser transmitter with enhanced laser performance over the previous generation DIAL system.
Lossy image codec based on adaptively scanned wavelet difference reduction

This paper describes a new method of lossy still image compression, called Adaptively Scanned Wavelet Difference Reduction (ASWDR). The ASWDR method produces an embedded bit stream with region of interest capability. It is a simple generalization of the compression method developed by Tian and Wells, which they have dubbed Wavelet Difference Reduction (WDR). While the WDR method employs a fixed ordering of the positions of wavelet coefficients, the ASWDR method employs a varying order which aims to adapt itself to specific image features. This image adaptive approach enables ASWDR to outperform WDR in a rate-distortion sense, and to essentially match the rate-distortion performance of the widely used codec, SPIHT, of Said and Pearlman. ASWDR compressed images exhibit better perceptual qualities, especially at low bit rates, than WDR and SPIHT compressed images. ASWDR retains all of the important features of WDR: low complexity, region of interest capability, embeddedness, and progressive SNR.
Nurse-midwifery care in an academic health center.

A study of 1,966 women who registered in a certified nurse–midwife (CNM) program for pregnancy and delivery at an academic health center is reported. Eleven percent either were medically disqualified or voluntarily transferred out of the program. Of the 1,852 women who entered labor, 46.5% required MD consultation most often for dysfunctional labor patterns. The primary cesarean section rate was 10.4%. The corrected perinatal mortality rate was 3.80/1,000 births. CNM care is a safe, cost-effective, and sought-after alternative to MD-only care for low-risk women within a tertiary care setting.
A New Sample of Males Linked from the Public Use Microdata Sample of the 1850 U.S. Federal Census of Population to the 1860 U.S. Federal Census Manuscript Schedules

This article describes a new sample of 4938 males linked from the new [U.S.] Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the 1850 federal census of population to the manuscript schedules of the 1860 federal census of population....After reviewing the existing work on individuals linked across the 1850s I describe the collection of the new sample in detail. I then use these data to examine the geographic mobility of the population (in particular movement to the western frontier). The Appendix contains new life tables for the 1850s--based on manuscript data from the mortality schedules of the 1850 census--that were used to estimate how many survivors could be expected between 1850 and 1860 in the linkage process. (EXCERPT)
The Insulation of Local Politics Under the Nonpartisan Ballot

The purpose of this article is to analyze the relationships between partisan and nonpartisan voting patterns in four cities using nonpartisan municipal elections. It is part of a larger comparative study on the process of policy formation in middle-sized cities.' The data have been used to test the nonpartisan rationale which states that the removal of party labels from the ballot insulates local elections from state and national political party influences.2 The "insulation" argument states that national political parties do not and cannot adequately serve the needs of the local political unit. Their intrusion into the local scene invariably represents the introduction of irrelevancies which confuse the voters and prevent them from dwelling on local issues in city elections. Thus, the nonpartisan idea is partially based on the belief that local democracy will be improved through rationalizing its political universe. Citizens will choose well if specific, pertinent, and familiar questions are posed to them. This insulation doctrine implies that the removal of the party name will have at least three results: (1) voting in local elections will be based upon local issues, (2) the division in such local voting will not merely parallel the division of voters between the major parties, and (3) the introduction of the nonpartisan ballot will not lead to new and unwanted irrelevancies influencing local voting decisions. Our present data permit only the development of the first two points. Four cities with populations of 50,000 to 75,000 are the subjects of this study. In many gross characteristics, the cities are similar. They all lie outside any major metropolitan orbit, all have had city managers for over a quarter of a century, all are manufacturing, industrial cities and all are located in the same state. The nonpartisan ballot has been in use in each of them since the early 1920's, and in each the local party organizations have withdrawn from organized activity in city elections. Furthermore, the present election system has been in existence sufficiently long to erase any recall of a previous partisan era: there are no vestiges of party apparatus for city election purposes.3 Despite
A modified model for Si/SiGe MOS-gate delta-doped HEMTs

Abstract An analytical model for threshold voltage ( V th ) and minimum gate voltage ( V tl ) of Si/SiGe MOS-gate delta-doped HEMT is presented in this letter. The model is valid for any width of the delta-doped layer and any distance of the layer from the Si/SiO 2 interface. Using the model, V th and V tl of a Si/SiGe MOS-gate delta-doped HEMT of known dimensions are calculated. To investigate the effect of variation of the width of the delta-doped layer, the threshold voltage and the minimum gate voltage have been plotted against the width. Medici™ simulation have been performed on the same device to evaluate V th and V tl for different delta-doped layer widths. The simulation results are in good agreement with the results found using the analytical model.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors and transforming growth factor-β induce 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been actively exploited as potential anticancer agents. To identify gene targets of HDAC inhibitors, we found that HDAC inhibitors such as sodium butyrate, scriptaid, apicidin and oxamflatin induced the expression of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a potential cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) antagonist and tumor suppressor, in a time and concentration dependent manner in A549 and H1435 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Detailed analyses indicated that HDAC inhibitors activated the 15-PGDH promoter-luciferase reporter construct in transfected A549 cells. A representative HDAC inhibitor, scriptaid, and its negative structural analog control, nullscript, were further evaluated at the chromatin level. Scriptaid but not nullscript induced a significant accumulation of acetylated histones H3 and H4 which were associated with the 15-PGDH promoter as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) also induced the expression of 15-PGDH in a time and concentration dependent manner in A549 and H1435 cells. Induction of 15-PGDH expression by TGF-beta1 was synergistically stimulated by the addition of Wnt3A which was inactive by itself. However, combination of TGF-beta and an HDAC inhibitor, scriptaid, only resulted in an additive effect. Together, our results indicate that 15-PGDH is one of the target genes that HDAC inhibitors and TGF-beta may induce to exhibit tumor suppressive effects.
Hypophysitis: a single-center case series

The authors review their treatment experience and summarize clinical outcomes for patients with hypophysitis over the past 15 years. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with lymphocytic, granulomatous or IgG4-related hypophysitis treated from 1997 to 2014 at a single academic center. Patients’ medical records were reviewed and binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess whether various clinical parameters were associated with improved outcomes including endocrine function, radiographic appearance and disease recurrence. Twenty-one patients (13 women and 8 men) were identified with a median diagnosis age of 37.4 years. All but two patients (90 %) were diagnosed histopathologically and the remaining two were diagnosed clinically with lymphocytic hypophysitis. 16 patients (76 %) had lymphocytic hypophysitis, 3 (14 %) had granulomatous hypophysitis, 1 (5 %) had IgG4-related hypophysitis and 1 (5 %) had mixed lymphocytic-granulomatous. Patients presented with various symptoms of expanding sellar mass with most common signs including headache (57 %), polyuria/polydipsia (52 %), vision changes (52 %) and amenorrhea or decreased libido (48 %). Pre-treatment endocrine evaluation revealed that 12 (57 %) patients had complete anterior hypopituitarism, 11 patients (52 %) had diabetes insipidus, ten patients (48 %) had mild hyperprolactinemia and three patients (14 %) had isolated endocrine axis deficiencies with partial gland function. We observed a broad diversity in pre-treatment imaging with common findings including uniform contrast enhancement (62 %), thickened infundibulum (57 %) and loss of hypophysis bright spot on T1 imaging (43 %). Patients were treated with steroids and hormone supplementation as needed. 16 patients (76 %) had recorded post-treatment MRI scans which revealed that half had radiographic improvement and half had stable or worsened post-treatment imaging. Only female gender was found to significantly predict improved odds of post-steroid radiographic improvement. For post-treatment endocrine evaluation, six patients (29 %) did not have an evaluation on record, four patients (19 %) had some improvement in at least one axis, seven patients (33 %) had stable but non-worsened endocrine function and four patients (19 %) had worsened endocrine function post-steroids. Hypophysitis is an increasingly recognized diagnosis that can present with a broad array of radiographic and clinical features. Surgical biopsy can be helpful to make definitive diagnosis and may guide treatment decision-making.
Surface-state spectra from thick-oxide MOS tunnel junctions

The conductance and capacitance of thick-oxide MOS tunnel junctions (SiO2 thickness 40 to 65 A) have been measured from 35 Hz to 210 kHz. It is demonstrated that the use of a thick-oxide MOS tunnel junction makes it possible to obtain the surface-state data throughout the whole silicon band gap with better resolution and better sensitivity than the conventional MOS capacitance techniques. A slight departure from equilibrium may occur in the voltage range where large tunnel current flows. Corrections to the energy scale must be made in this voltage range. A method for the evaluation of the junction quality is discussed. The simplified equivalent circuits necessary for the calculation of surface-state data are constructed under various bias conditions by an approach different from that used in a previously published work. The present work supports the model that at least some of the observed surface states are a consequence of the diffusion of contact metals into the oxide.
Absolute dosimetry for extreme-ultraviolet lithography

The accurate measurement of an exposure dose reaching the wafer on an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic system has been a technical challenge directly applicable to the evaluation of candidate EUV resist materials and calculating lithography system throughputs. We have developed a dose monitoring sensor system that can directly measure EUV intensities at the wafer plane of a prototype EUV lithographic system. This sensor system, located on the wafer stage adjacent to the electrostatic chuck used to grip wafers, operates by translating the sensor into the aerial image, typically illuminating an 'open' (unpatterned) area on the reticle. The absolute signal strength can be related to energy density at the wafer, and thus used to determine resist sensitivity, and the signal as a function of position can be used to determine illumination uniformity at the wafer plane. Spectral filtering to enhance the detection of 13.4 nm radiation was incorporated into the sensor. Other critical design parameters include the packaging and amplification technologies required to place this device into the space and vacuum constraints of a EUV lithography environment. We describe two approaches used to determine the absolute calibration of this sensor. The first conventional approach requires separate characterization of each element of the sensor. A second novel approach uses x-ray emission from a mildly radioactive iron source to calibrate the absolute response of the entire sensor system (detector and electronics) in a single measurement.
Dynamoelectric amplifier for power control

THE USE of amplifiers has become common knowledge in radio, but on the other hand, the term amplification has seldom been applied to processes in power engineering. Strictly speaking, we may say that a radio amplifier is only a form of control because we always tap a new source of power and the function of the amplifier is to control this power so as to reproduce the changes of energy flow at a higher power level. On this ground we might say that an ordinary d-c generator is an amplifier because we control the power output by the current in the field winding. Such a terminology would, however, be rather misleading because when we say amplification, we imply something more specific than when we say control. An amplifier should give accurate reproduction both of intensity and time intervals, whereas, controlled power circuits used so far have not met these requirements. In the radio-frequency amplifier we are dealing with a time element of less than a millionth of a second. In an audio amplifier the time element is about 1/5,000 of a second. The only device we know of that will respond in such a short time is the high-vacuum electron tube. In power circuits, on the other hand, the time element is seldom less than one-tenth of a second.