cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Portal CT reconstruction using the CsI(Tl) transparent scintillator x-ray detector and the MLS-ART technique

In this paper, we report our investigation using a CsI(Tl) transparent scintillator x-ray detector together with the multi-level scheme algebraic reconstruction technique (MLS- ART) for megavoltage computed tomography (CT) reconstructions. The reconstructed CT images may be useful for positional verification in radiotherapy. The CsI(Tl) imaging system consists of a scintillator screen coupled to a liquid- nitrogen-cooled slow-scan CCD-TV camera. This system provides better contrast resolution than the standard electronic portal imaging system (EPID), which is especially useful given the low number of projections we are aiming at. The geometry of the imaging system has also been optimized to achieve high spatial resolution (1 lp/mm) in spite of the thickness of the screen. We present the images reconstructed using a pediatric head phantom using a total of 99 projections, and a combined phantom using 50 projections. Image reconstruction was carried out using the MLS-ART technique. We also present the CT images obtained using the back projection technique for comparison purposes.
Cyber Diving:: Information Searching

KEY POINTS • Formal analysis of a research problem can help structure a literature search. • Different Internet search engines have many useful features for focusing the search. • Understanding the provenance of documents also focuses the search. • Search engines and literature databases use special commands called Boolean operators to combine search terms. • Using these techniques when searching in Internet search engines, Google Scholar, and specialized databases including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycInfo yields excellent results. • In addition to immediate full-text or purchase there are several other options that perioperative nurses can use to obtain discovered resources.
The Participatory Roots of Selective Exposure: Baby Boomers, Political Protest, and Talk Radio

Much political communication research examines the effects of media on political attitudes and behavior. But what of the contributions of political behavior toward selective exposure? This study draws on literature from selective exposure and political socialization to explore whether one’s likelihood of engaging in selective exposure may originate in part during the “crystallization period” of young adulthood. After controlling for demographic and political variables in adolescence and midadulthood, an analysis of data from a four-wave longitudinal panel of “baby boomers” from 1965 to 1997 indicates that selective exposure can be traced to political protest activity during this time and, very marginally, in subsequent years. The implications for the future of selective exposure among emerging generations are discussed.
In Reply: The health care 'iron triangle'.

Readers comment on enterovirus D-68 (January 2015), eosinophilic esophagitis (February 2015), the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (February 2015), and alcoholic hepatitis (March 2015).
A Method to Create Body Sizing Systems

Literature reviews show that consumers are not satisfied with the fit of garments sold in stores, primarily due to outdated sizing systems used by companies and the limited number of sizes being pr...
Influenza Hemagglutinin and M2 ion channel priming by trypsin: Killing two birds with one stone

Abstract Influenza A virus membrane fusion and disassembly, prerequisite processes for viral infectivity, depend on acidic pH. In a recent study, Zhirnov et al. reported an important finding—that influenza virions are not permeable to protons unless the hemagglutinin (HA) fusion protein is primed by trypsin cleavage. This raises the question of whether in the viral context the M2 ion channel requires priming prior to its activation by low pH. Here, it is hypothesized that both HA and M2 ion channel direct priming by trypsin is required for their sensitization by low pH.
Revision rates and time to revision following endoscopic sinus surgery: A large database analysis.

Objectives/Hypothesis Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is performed for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) that have failed maximal medical therapy. This study seeks to determine the prevalence of revision surgery and factors predicting the need for revision after ESS using a large statewide surgery database. Study Design Large retrospective cohort study using the State Ambulatory Surgery Database for the state of California between 2005 and 2011. Methods We identified over 61,000 patients with CRS who underwent ESS, determined by Current Procedural Terminology code. We identified which patients underwent a repeat surgery, and performed multivariable modeling to determine which factors (nasal polyps, age, gender, insurance, hospital setting, ethnicity) predicted the need for revision. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals are presented. Results Of 61,339 patients who underwent ESS, 4,078 (6.65%) returned for revision ESS during the time period investigated. In a multivariable logistic regression model, positive predictors of revision were a diagnosis of nasal polyps (AOR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.11–1.29, P < .001) and female gender (AOR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.11–1.29, P < .001); public insurance was marginally predictive of increased reoperation (AOR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.00–1.21, P = .048). Patients of Hispanic ethnicity were less likely to have revision surgery (AOR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77–0.97, P = .011). Age, income, and hospital setting were not significant predictors. Conclusions A minority of patients with CRS who undergo ESS will have a revision surgery. This likelihood is increased in female patients and those with nasal polyps, and decreased in patients of Hispanic ethnicity, even when controlling for income, insurance, and hospital setting. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 128:31–36, 2018
Magneto-acoustic oscillator

We demonstrate a hybrid oscillator system that combines the tunability of spin torque oscillators (STOs) with the exceptional quality factor (Q) of a high-overtone bulk acoustic resonator (HBAR) in a 2-chip system. The demonstrated magneto-acoustic oscillator (MAO) has a tuning range of 5% at 4 GHz with 175 kHz 3 dB linewidth. When compared to STOs we achieve a 200χ reduction in linewidth, while retaining the original tuning range.
Optical overview and qualification of the LLCD space terminal

In October 2013 the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) made communications history by successfully demonstrating 622 megabits per second laser communication from the moon’s orbit to earth. The LLCD consisted of the Lunar Laser Communication Space Terminal (LLST), developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, mounted on NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft and a primary ground terminal located in New Mexico, the Lunar Laser Communications Ground Terminal (LLGT), and two alternate ground terminals. This paper presents the optical layout of the LLST, the approach for testing the optical subsystems, and the results of the optical qualification of the LLST. Also described is the optical test set used to qualify the LLST. The architecture philosophy for the optics was to keep a small, simple optical backend that provided excellent boresighting and high isolation between the optical paths, high quality wavefront on axis, with minimal throughput losses on all paths. The front end large optics consisted of a Cassegrain 107mm telescope with an f/0.7 parabolic primary mirror and a solar window to reduce the thermal load on the telescope and to minimize background light received at the sensors.
Books IV to VII of Diophantus' Arithmetica: In the Arabic Translation Attributed to Qusṭâ Ibn Lûqâ. By Jacques Sesiano

(1985). Books IV to VII of Diophantus' Arithmetica: In the Arabic Translation Attributed to Qusṭâ Ibn Luqâ. By Jacques Sesiano. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 92, No. 2, pp. 150-154.
Endorectal MR imaging of prostate cancer: Evaluation of tumor capsular contact length as a sign of extracapsular extension.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the length of contact between dominant tumor foci and the prostatic capsule as a sign of extracapsular extension at endorectal multiparametric MR imaging. Materials and methods We retrospectively identified 101 patients over a three-year interval who underwent endorectal multiparametric prostate MR imaging prior to radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Two readers identified the presence of dominant tumor focus (largest lesion with PI-RADS version 2 score of 4 or 5), and measured the length of tumor capsular contact and likelihood of extracapsular extension by standard criteria (1–5 Likert scale). Results were analyzed using histopathological review as reference standard. Results Extracapsular extension was found at histopathological review in 27 patients. Reader 1 (2) identified dominant tumor in 79 (73) patients, with mean tumor capsular contact length of 18.2 (14.0) mm. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for identification of extracapsular extension by tumor capsular contact length was 0.76 for reader 1 and 0.77 for reader 2, with optimal discrimination at values of 18 mm and 21 mm, respectively. In the subset of patients without obvious extracapsular extension by standard criteria (Likert scores 1–3), corresponding values were 0.74 and 0.66 with optimal thresholds of 24 and 21 mm. Conclusion Length of contact between the dominant tumor focus and the capsule is a moderately useful sign of extracapsular extension at endorectal multiparametric prostate MR imaging, including the subset of patients without obvious extracapsular extension by standard criteria, with optimal discrimination at threshold values of 18 to 24 mm.
Use of the minor hemoglobin ratio for the determination of gestational age.

Maternal and cord blood hemoglobin A1c were quantitated at the time of delivery by radioimmunoassay. Other cord blood hemoglobins were quantitated by column chromatography using Bio-Rex 70. The minor hemoglobin ratio : formula: (see text),showed an excellent linear correlation (r2 = 0.88) with gestational age. Therefore, the ratio of : formula: (see text), could be a useful test to determine gestational age in the third trimester.
Fine Structural Demonstration of Acid Phosphatase Activity in Auer Bodies

The peripheral leukocytes of three patients with acute myelogenous leukemia have been studied by combined electron microscopy and ultrastructural cytochemistry. Auer bodies present in immature granulocytes were found to contain specific evidence of acid phosphatase activity, indicating that Auer rods are lysosomes. A number of observations were made which support the origin of Auer rod lysosomes from azurophilic granules which are known to be lysosomes. The nature of the stimulus causing transformation or fusion of azure granules to form Auer bodies, however, remains obscure.
DIAGNOSTICS OF LASER-ANNEALED SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS USING PHOTOACOUSTIC, RELATED OPTICAL, AND RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING TECHNIQUES

Optical absorption of implanted layers in silicon and gallium arsenide has been studied as a means of evaluating the restoration of surface layer crystallinity brought about by laser annealing. Simple transmission measurements using wavelengths near the crystalline absorption edge, as well as photoacoustic techniques have been used to measure the properties of the implanted region over a range of fluence from 10 12 to 10 16 cm –2 . Annealing of the surface layer is manifest by an increase of the transmitted signal level and by a decrease in the photoacoustic output voltage. The measurement is nondestructive, can have the high spatial resolution needed for a detailed examination of the variations of crystallinity across the surface and can be carried out rapidly and conveniently compared to other methods.
Financial State of the Nation

The objective of this paper is to provide a perspective on the current financial state of the U.S., with the aid of more than two dozen charts depicting key trends. A marked change in U.S. consumer behavior – shifting from a policy of moderate personal savings to a more-heavily consumption-oriented, spending society over the period 1982 through 2007 – is reflected in the personal savings rate. This trend was a factor in Americans “living beyond their means” by acquiring large levels of debt. The personal savings rate and a growing trade deficit over the decade preceding the financial and banking crisis, along with household leverage ratios and growing federal budget deficits, likely represent non-sustainable long-term strategies. The downturn in this recession was more acute in terms of negative real economic growth, unemployment and housing prices than previous post-World War II recessions. The recovery is being led by business investment and productivity, U.S. exports from the manufacturing sector, and growth in the emerging markets. However, the recovery has been slowing. The traditional drivers of past recoveries – consumer spending and housing – are not playing a dominant role. The dire unemployment picture is likely to be with us for several years. There is a wide disparity in views among economists as to whether inflation or deflation might ensue. With high unemployment rates, level prices, low consumer demand and spending, and the economy’s struggle to grow, the threat of inflation currently seems far less imminent than the danger of deflation. And fighting deflation is undoubtedly more difficult.
The Effect of Paternalism on Incivility: Exploring Incivility Climate as an Important Boundary Condition:

In this article, we examine the effects of paternalism on experienced incivility across two studies. Study 1 examines the paternalism—experienced incivility relationship in a sample of health care ...
Bioinformatics Identification of Drug Gene Modules: Application to Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary

Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets the cancer's specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival. Identification of therapeutics targets is a very challenging problem in bioinformatics. An integrative and iterative approach for the identification of drug-gene modules (i.e., groups of genes and drugs such that genes in the same module may regulate each other and are targets of some of the drugs in the same module) is developed. Application to clear cell carcinoma of the ovary data reveals several drug-gene modules and a target network that may play important roles in treating this disease.
The Impact of the Built Environment on Patient Falls in Hospital Rooms: An Integrative Review.

Objectives The aims of this study were to identify and evaluate scientific evidence examining the impact of the built environment on patient falls in hospital rooms. Methods An integrative review (IR) with a systematic literature search was performed using the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome framework. We searched CINAHL, PsychINFO, PubMED, and Web of Science databases. The search included peer-reviewed studies from 1990 to 2017 written in English. An additional hand search was also conducted. Selected articles were reviewed and rated based on a hierarchical categorization, comprising six evidence levels, developed by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and adapted for evidence-based design systematic literature reviews. Results After a multitiered process, 30 articles met the selection criteria. Thematic areas were created based on the examined elements of the physical environment including patient room configuration and available space, bathroom configuration, bathtub and shower, door, bed height and bed rail, flooring, floor mats, patient chair, lighting, toilet, handrail, grab bars, intravenous pole, sink, ceiling lift, and wheelchair and walking aids. Findings of studies on each element are discussed in detail. Conclusions Some environmental elements have not been examined in past relational or causal studies, and the level of evidence for the examined attributes is not high enough to gain robust confidence in healthcare design decision-making. Because of the low level of evidence for several environmental elements, conclusions must be taken with caution. More studies using quantitative, relational, or causal designs are recommended to develop actionable interventions on patient falls in hospital rooms.
Caval Reconstruction with Undersized Ringed Graft after Resection of Inferior Vena Cava Leiomyosarcoma

Background The en bloc resection of inferior vena cava (IVC) leiomyosarcoma often necessitates IVC reconstruction. The objective of this study is to examine outcomes after IVC reconstruction and determine optimal graft sizing. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of all IVC reconstructions after IVC leiomyosarcoma resection at a single institution. Cross-sectional dimensions at the IVC resection margins were measured on preoperative imaging. The tumor location was based on the most superiorly involved region of the IVC and was classified as infrarenal, between hepatic and renal veins, or superior to the hepatic veins. Perioperative details and long-term outcomes including graft sizing, graft patency, morbidity, and mortality were recorded. Results Between 2007 and 2017, 12 patients (6 females, mean age: 64.5 years, age range: 46–80 years) underwent IVC leiomyosarcoma resection and reconstruction. All reconstructions were performed with ringed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); graft sizes ranged from 12 mm to 16 mm. The tumor location was exclusively infrarenal in seven patients, between the renal and hepatic veins in two patients, and involved multiple segments in three patients. Larger graft sizes were utilized in reconstructing more superior segments of the IVC. Grafts were typically undersized and based on the diameter of the superior resection margin with 12 mm grafts approximately correlating to a 20 mm diameter, 14 mm to 25 mm, and 16 mm to 30 mm. The average undersizing ratio was 0.6. At a mean follow-up time of 43 ± 27 months, radiographic graft patency was 92%, overall survival was 83%, and disease-free survival was 25%. Conclusions After en bloc resection of IVC leiomyosarcoma, caval reconstruction with an undersized ringed PTFE has acceptable patency. Grafts sizes should be based on the IVC diameter superior to the tumor and undersizing by approximately 40% appears to be associated with acceptable patency rates. Further multiinstitutional studies should be performed to best determine the optimal treatment of this rarely encountered tumor.
A Novel Method of Phase Identification in Low Voltage Distribution Network

The phase relationship records of customers in low-voltage substation are not always accurate, which has negative impacts on the operation and management of the low voltage network. In this paper, an automatic phase identification method based on voltage correlation and clustering analysis is proposed. Firstly, the historical data of the transformer three phase voltages and the voltages of all single-phase customers in the substation among a long period are obtained from customer electricity information system. Then, the phase voltage unbalance ratio of the transformer voltage at every moment is calculated, and the voltage sequences are composed by the voltage values of transformer and customers at the most unbalanced moments. Furthermore, the dynamic time warping (DTW) distances between each voltage sequences are calculated, and the customer phase is automatically identified by K-means clustering algorithm. Case study has verified the effectiveness of the proposed method.
ESTIMATING AIRLINE EMPLOYMENT: THE IMPACT OF THE 9-11 TERRORIST ATTACKS

In the calendar year prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, U. S. Airlines employed 732,049 people according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics [BTS] of the U. S. Department of Transportation (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U. S. Department of Transportation [BTS], 2001). Since the 9-11 attacks there have been numerous press reports concerning airline layoffs, especially at the "traditional," long-time airlines such as American, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways. BTS figures also show that there has been a drop in U. S. Airline employment when comparing the figures at the end of the calendar year 2000 (732,049 employees) to the figures at the end of calendar year 2002 (642,797 employees) the first full year following the terrorist attacks (BTS, 2003). This change from 2000 to 2002 represents a total reduction of 89,252 employees. However, prior research by NewMyer, Kaps and Owens (2003) indicates that BTS figures do not necessarily represent the complete airline industry employment picture. Therefore, one key purpose of this research was to examine the scope of the post 9-11 attack airline employment change in light of all available sources. This first portion of the research compared a number of different data sources for airline employment data. A second purpose of the study will be to provide airline industry employment totals for both 2000 and 2002, if different from the BTS figures, and report those. Finally, the third purpose of the study was to report any variations from the overall airline industry trend. A literature review was used to complete this study. Sources used in this study included government documents, government web resources, published articles, aviation industry publications and various non-government web resources such as airline websites. Among the key conclusions of the study were the following: (1) Paralleling earlier studies, it was found that the BTS data underreported the total U. S. airline employment total by at least 61,005 employees in 2000 and 61,359 employees in 2002; (2) Utilizing a combination of BTS and World Aviation Directory (Jackman, F., 2000 and 2002) airline employment data, it was found that U. S. airline employment totals dropped by 88,898 employees or 12.5% when comparing the 2000 data with the 2002 data; (3) Low cost carriers including AirTran, Frontier, JetBlue and Southwest combined to add 9,440 employees in the same 2000 to 2002 period, an addition of 25.4 percent.
Coping with Organizational Role Stress: Intrinsic Motivational Orientation, Perceived Role Benefits, and Psychological Withdrawal:

Researchers have long recognized that individuals in stressful marketing roles find ways to cope with organizational role stress. This study examines the effects of three psychological coping strategies—intrinsic motivational orientation, perceived role benefits, and psychological withdrawal—in a model of organizational role stress. Results indicate that intrinsic motivational orientations reduce perceptions of role conflict and role ambiguity, and increase job satisfaction; that perceived role benefits positively influence job satisfaction; and that job dissatisfaction is the primary cause of psychological withdrawal. The study supports the importance of coping efforts in models of organizational role stress among marketing personnel.
Chapter 5 Introduction to geostatistics

Publisher Summary Geological media are inherently heterogeneous. The values of various properties are spatially variable. The properties include distribution of ores in mines, seam thickness of coal, as well as properties important for fluid flow such as porosity and permeability. The inherent nature of estimation process results in errors associated with the estimated values. A good estimation process attempts to minimize the errors associated with the estimated values as well as increase the confidence in them by integrating data from multiple sources. The theory of geostatistics is based on the principles of stochastic theory and random variables. The property whose unknown value is to be estimated is assumed a random variable. A set of random variables defines a random function. The basic principles of geostatistics were developed based on two-point statistics. In other words, spatial variability of a random variable is calculated such that at a time relationship between only two random variables is used for calculations.
Hierarchical Image Classification in the Bioscience Literature

Our previous work has shown that images appearing in bioscience articles can be classified into five types: Gel-Image, Image-of-Thing, Graph, Model, and Mix. For this paper, we explored and analyzed features strongly associated with each image type and developed a hierarchical image classification approach for classifying an image into one of the five types. First, we applied texture features to separate images into two groups: 1) a texture group comprising Gel Image, Image-of-Thing, and Mix, and 2) a non-texture group comprising Graph and Model. We then applied entropy, skewness, and uniformity for the first group, and edge difference, uniformity, and smoothness for the second group to classify images into specific types. Our results show that hierarchical image classification accurately divided images into the two groups during the initial classification and that the overall accuracy of the image classification was higher than that of our previous approach. In particular, the recall of hierarchical image classification was greatly improved due to the high accuracy of the initial classification.
Determination of iron metal optical constants: Implications for ultraviolet, visible, and near‐infrared remote sensing of airless bodies

[1] Iron metal is an opaque phase common in planetary materials both as an igneous mineral and as a space-weathering by-product. In either form, iron metal has a large influence on the interpretation of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectra of planetary surfaces obtained from Earth- or space-based observatories. Therefore, the optical properties of iron are a critical input necessary for accurate theoretical radiative-transfer mixing models for inversion of maturity and mineral proportions from reflectance spectra. Here we report new measurements of the optical constants of iron in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum (∼160 to 1700 nm). These values are determined from an iron metal film vapor-deposited onto a fused silica prism. Optical constant determination is carried out using an ellipsometer that performs the measurement within the prism, sensing the side of the metal film unexposed to the ambient atmosphere. The data we report have important implications for modeling planetary spectra and for comparison of laboratory measurements of extraterrestrial samples with remotely sensed data sets.
The Politicization of the Ban on Female Circumcision and the Rise of the Independent School Movement in Kenya

The ban on female circumcision and the rise of the Kikuyu independent schools between 1929 and 1932 in Kenya were interrelated and politicized. In their desire to eliminate female circumcision, several Protestant mission societies, not only forbade their followers from its practice, but also membership in the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA), the major African political organization. This coupling of the two and the subsequent rise of independent schools, gave the KCA the opportunity to rally the Kikuyu to its support and gained unprecedented popularity. The KCA became the champions of cultural Kikuyu heritage. The colonial authorities were brought into the controversy by both the missions and the KCA, and although they tried to take a moderate approach, their vacillation failed to depoliticize the situation.
The mouthparts of female Corethrella brakeleyi and C. wirthi (Diptera: Chaoboridae)

The mouthparts of female Corethrella brakeleyi and C. wirthi were studied using light and electron microscopy. Mandibles, hypopharynx and labium are highly sclerotized and are modified for obtaining blood meals. All structures were larger in C. brakeleyi than in C. wirthi except mandibular and hypopharyngeal teeth; these were smaller and more numerous in C. brakeleyi. The labium of both species terminates in peg-like structures which are similar to those reported from several genera of mosquitoes. Sensillae on the second segment of the maxillary palps appear to be identical to those described in both biting and nonbiting male and female blackflies.
Manner of Apical Meristem Destruction Affects Growth, Reproduction, and Survival of Sea Oxeye Daisy

Although herbivory may result in plant death, the mode and timing of damage may produce variable wounding responses in the attacked plant. In this study, effects of different types of apical meristem damage on growth and performance of sea oxeye daisy Borrichia frutescens (L.) DC were compared. Damage involved either clipping or galling of the apical meristem by the gall midge Asphondylia borrichiae Rossi and Strong. Apical dominance was relatively weak before flowering and stronger in short ramets that were shaded by taller neighbors later in the season. Clipped ramets delayed sprouting new stems, and galled ramets sprouted new stems quickly compared to intact ramets, but final stem counts were similar across treatments. Clipping significantly delayed flowering, reduced seed head ripening time, and resulted in fewer seed heads and seeds. Galling did not significantly impact reproduction compared to intact ramets. Nitrogen supplementation significantly increased stem count and seed count and lengthened seed ripening time. Borrichia frutescens responds differently to clipping versus galling by A. borrichiae and better tolerates galling in terms of nonreproductive performance and survival. Galling from A. borrichiae likely prevents Borrichia frutescens from flowering, which suggests resource regulation of meristems by the midge.
Colonic epithelial response to injury requires Myd88 signaling in myeloid cells

Proper colonic injury response requires myeloid-derived cells and Toll-like receptor/Myd88 signaling. However, the precise role of Myd88 signaling specifically in myeloid-derived cells that occurs during tissue damage is unclear. Therefore, we created a mouse line with Myd88 expression restricted to myeloid lineages (Myd88(-/-); LysM(Cre/+); ROSA26(Myd88/+); herein Mlcr). In these mice, Myd88 was appropriately expressed and mediated responses to bacterial ligand exposure in targeted cells. Importantly, the severe colonic epithelial phenotype observed in dextran sodium sulfate-injured Myd88(-/-) mice was rescued by the genetic modification of Mlcr mice. During injury, myeloid cell activation and enrichment of Ptsg2-expressing stromal cells occurred within the mesenchyme that surrounded the crypt bases of Mlcr and Myd88(+/-) mice but not Myd88(-/-) mice. Interestingly, these cellular changes to the crypt base mesenchyme also occurred, but to a lesser extent in uninjured Mlcr mice. These results show that Myd88 expression in myeloid cells was sufficient to rescue intestinal injury responses, and surprisingly, these cells appear to require an additional Myd88-dependent signal from a non-myeloid cell type during homeostasis.
Single neurones can initiate synchronized population discharge in the hippocampus

The synchronized firing of neuronal populations is frequently observed in the mammalian central nervous system. The generation of motor activities such as locomotion and respiration requires the simultaneous activation of many neurones and synchronous firing also underlies the cortical alpha rhythm and the hippocampal theta rhythm. However the influence that single neurones may have on such neuronal population discharges is not clear. We have examined this question using small isolated segments of the CA3 region of the guinea pig hippocampus. We report here that in the presence of picrotoxin, a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist, these segments spontaneously generate synchronized rhythmic bursts comparable with the interictal epileptiform discharges observed in the hippocampus and neocortex in the presence of penicillin. The activation of some individual neurones by intracellular current injection can partially entrain and reset the rhythm. The probability that a synchronized burst will follow stimulation of a single cell increases with time after a spontaneous synchronized discharge, suggesting that each population discharge is followed by a period of relative population refractoriness. A delay of 40-200 ms elapses between the activation of a single neurone and the synchronized discharge. We suggest that during this time activity elicited in one neurone spreads to other neurones through multisynaptic excitatory pathways and leads eventually to the participation of the whole population in a synchronous burst.
The ultrastructure of the human full-term placenta.

A description of the general morphology of normal full-term human placenta is given. Low magnification electron micrographs of cross-sectioned whole villi are presented as evidence that the syncytial trophoblast represents a multinucleated mass of protoplasm (syncytium). Secretion granules in the syncytial trophoblast and cytotrophoblast are described. Evidence is presented suggesting their origin from the Golgi apparatus. The basal surface foldings of the syncytial trophoblast are described, and their similarity to the basal foldings of other water-transporting tissues is emphasized. Desmosomes exist between cytotrophoblast cells and the syncytial trophoblast. In the connective tissue core of the villus, fibroblasts, Hofbauer cells, and occasional plasma cells are encountered. The significance and possible function of the various structures is discussed.
Predictors of performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners obstetrics and gynecology subject examination.

Objective: To examine the correlation among the National Board of Medical Examiners subject examination, the US Medical Licensure Examination step 1 scores, and grade point average and to determine if poor performance could be predicted by the US Medical Licensure Examination step 1 score and grade point average. Methods: The subject examination scores of 148 third-year medical students were compared with their US Medical Licensure Examination step 1 scores and grade point averages. Scores below the 20th percentile were defined as poor performance. Results: There was a significant correlation between the US Medical Licensure Examination score and the subject examination score (r = .6, P < .001). The correlation with grade point average was also significant (r = .57, P < .001). Conclusion: The US Medical Licensure Examination step 1 performance, grade point average, and performance on the subject examination are all correlated. However, use of the US Medical Licensure Examination step 1 scores and grade point averages to identify all students at risk was associated with a high false-positive rate at our institution. (Obstet Gynecol 1998;91:1021–2.)
Comparison of numbers of circulating blood monocytes in men grouped by body mass index (<25, 25 to <30, ≥30)

termediate-term follow-up with serial echocardiographic assessment. J Am Coll Cardiol 1994;24:483–489. 11. Goldberg SJ, Allen HD. Quantitative assessment by Doppler echocardigraphy of pulmonary or aortic regurgitation. Am J Cardiol 1985;56:131–135. 12. Kobayashi J, Nakano S, Matsuda H, Arisawa J, Kawashima Y. Quantitative evaluation of pulmonary regurgitation after repair of tetralogy of Fallot using real-time flow imaging system. Jpn Circ J 1989;53:721–727. 13. Tani LY, Minich LL, Day RW, Orsmond GS, Shaddy RE. Doppler evaluation of aortic regurgitation in children. Am J Cardiol 1997;80:927–931.
Structure-Stability Correlations in Li-ion Battery Cathode Materials

Detailed structural studies of two lithiated metal oxides, Li2CuO2 and nanoscale LiCoO2, have been carried out using ex situ high-energy X-ray diffraction (XRD) and in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with the objective of understanding structural changes that might cause capacity loss during cycling. XRD on the cuprate was studied at various states of charge and phase composition, and the bulk state was determined by Rietveld refinement and pair density function (PDF) analysis. Results showed a largely irreversible structural change of the material upon oxidation of Cu2+ as well as CuO formation. The in-situ XAS of the LiCoO2 was analyzed through a difference method to extract the changes in the local structure that occur upon cycling in both the near edge (XANES) and extended region (EXAFS). Results suggest that cycling causes site exchange of the Co and Li ions near the surface of the nanoscale LiCoO2.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Selected Risk Factors in Producing Adverse Consequences of Drug Use

A path analysis was performed to examine the usefulness of multiple pathway risk factors in explaining and predicting youthful alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) misuse and its adverse consequences. The risk factors alienation, trait anger, interaction anxiety, and cognitive motivation for drinking were used as exogenous variables with earliness of onset, ATOD use, and adverse consequences of ATOD use serving as endogenous variables. Firm support emerged for both direct and indirect effects of the risk factors on both use and adverse consequences of use.
Grass effects on tree (Prosopis glandulosa) growth in a temperate savanna

Abstract The majority of studies on woody–herbaceous interactions have focused on the effects of trees on grasses; relatively few have looked at grass effects on adult trees. In a two-year study in a temperate savanna in northern Texas, tree (Prosopis glandulosa) basal area increased significantly following removal of associated grasses, the response being highly variable in time and space. Tree response to grass removal was strongest on shallow, clayey soils, but was evident only during the year subsequent to treatment. Low intensity surface fire enhanced growth of adult trees, but the magnitude of the response was inconsistent among sites. Clipping of grasses (proxy for grazing) had no effect on tree growth. Contrasts between the clipping and removal experiments suggest clipping may not have been frequent or intense enough to elicit a tree response; or that it is the presence/absence of grasses rather than their aboveground biomass which impacts trees. Enhanced tree growth and foliar N and P content associated with disturbance to the grass layer on shallow sites where vertical segregation of woody plant and grass roots and soil resources are constrained, may reflect reductions in competition for soil moisture and elevated soil N and P availability following fire.
Identification of the functional binding pocket for compounds targeting small-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels

Small- and intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels, activated by Ca2+-bound calmodulin, have an important role in regulating membrane excitability. These channels are also linked to clinical abnormalities. A tremendous amount of effort has been devoted to developing small molecule compounds targeting these channels. However, these compounds often suffer from low potency and lack of selectivity, hindering their potential for clinical use. A key contributing factor is the lack of knowledge of the binding site(s) for these compounds. Here we demonstrate by X-ray crystallography that the binding pocket for the compounds of the 1-ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone (1-EBIO) class is located at the calmodulin-channel interface. We show that, based on structure data and molecular docking, mutations of the channel can effectively change the potency of these compounds. Our results provide insight into the molecular nature of the binding pocket and its contribution to the potency and selectivity of the compounds of the 1-EBIO class. Small- and intermediate-conductance K+channels are activated by calcium-bound calmodulin and modulated by small molecules. In this study, a functional binding pocket for the 1-EBIO class of modulators is described and is located at the calmodulin-channel interface.
"BEGETTING" AND "BEING BORN" IN THE PENTATEUCH: NOTES ON HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS AND SOURCE CRITICISM

Les sources yahviste (J) et sacerdotale (P) se distinguent au niveau linguistique par l'utilisation de la forme verbale il a engendre. J utilise exclusivement yalad a la forme qal tandis que P utilise exclusivement la forme hiphil holid. Ces utilisations peuvent etre attribuees a un developpement diachronique dans la Bible hebraique. L'opinion generale qui considere que J et P proviennent de Jerusalem ou de ses environs, s'adapte habilement a ce modele de developpement diachronique. Les donnees linguistiques sont en accord avec la vue classique selon laquelle la source J est plus ancienne que la source P et que cette derniere provient de la periode exilique ou perse ancienne. Ces donnees sont coherentes avec l'idee generale selon laquelle le Pentateuque est compose de sources litteraires qui traversent plusieurs siecles.
Effects of Parathyroid Extract on Removal of Sr89, Ca45, and P32 by Hemodialysis from Conscious Calves

Abstract Effects of parathyroid hormone on mobilization of Sr, Ca, and P were studied by hemodialysis. Nine fasted calves were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Treatments were: (A) thyroparathyroidectomy, (B) thyroparathyroidectomy plus PTE, and (C) control mock-operated calves. Strontium-89, Ca 45 , and P 32 were injected intravenously 48 hr before the 16-hr dialysis period. Surgery was performed 22 hr before dialysis. The PTE was given intramuscularly at 2-hr intervals, beginning at the initiation of dialysis (6.6 USP units/ kilogram/day). Treatments did not significantly affect the accumulation of total Ca or P in the dialyzing baths. However, the Sr 89 /Ca 45 ratio of activities in the baths was significantly increased by PTE administration (P 45 activity during dialysis averaged (A) 28%, (B) 53%, and (C) 51% (A vs. B + C, P 89 in epiphyseal bone (P 45 into the rib epiphyses. The PTE group (B) had the greatest reduction of Sr 89 activity and also the greatest incorporation of Ca 45 into the rib epiphyses during dialysis. Accumulation of Sr 89 and Ca 45 in the dialyzing baths, reduction of Ca 45 activity in the plasma, and the relative Sr 89 and Ca 45 activities of the rib epiphyses indicate that PTE administration resulted in a release of Sr 89 from the epiphyses, with a preferential incorporation of Ca 45 during dialysis.
Bridging the student support gap

In recent years, the use of a computer has become a requirement for success in a collegiate environment, and the demand for mobile computing has sharply increased. In response to these trends, Bucknell University has taken a proactive role in supporting the computing and technology needs of its students, faculty and staff.To meet these needs, Bucknell University created a student support model for personally-owned computers. This model currently consists of our Techdesk, Techdesk Advanced Support Team, the Bison Laptop Program, and the Student Laptop Loaner Program. These areas will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the Bucknell University student community.The various parts of the support model each have a valuable contribution to the overall level of service and support that we are able to offer to the Bucknell University student community. Our Techdesk and Techdesk Advanced Support Team answer general questions and resolve hardware and software issues. The Bison Laptop Program helps reduce the variety of hardware and software that we encounter, which reduces support requirements. The Student Laptop Loaner Program provides assistance during long-term repairs for students outside our laptop program. Together, these components allow us to provide a premier level of support.We plan to share our experiences and explain how the portions of our support model allow us to support the Bucknell University community. We believe that this could greatly benefit other institutions seeking to create or refine their student support model.
On state estimation for distributed parameter systems

Abstract Sequential algorithms for prediction, filtering and smoothing are developed for a class of linear distributed-parameter systems. The class of systems concerned is that involving noisy measurement data which are obtained from “averaging” and “scanner” -type sensors. The basic tools of the development are the least-squares estimation viewpoint, the calculus of variations and the sweep method for two-point boundary-value problems. An example involving the heat equation is presented to illustrate the results.
Controlled Atmosphere Excitation

In recent years there has been an increased interest on the part of spectrochemists in the employment of controlled special atmosphere spectral excitation. The early emphasis in this work was on the displacement of nitrogen from the excitation region, when carbon electrodes were used, in order to attenuate cyanogen bands. More recently the trend has been to recognize and to take advantage of the spectral effects observed with special atmospheres.
A source mechanism for meteorites controlled by the Yarkovsky effect

Some previous difficulties associated with attributing an asteroid-belt origin to meteorites are briefly reviewed. To overcome these, a two-step mechanism is proposed by which small fragments produced by asteroid collisions are gradually sent into eccentric earth-crossing orbits, while the larger parent bodies themselves remain relatively unaffected. Central to this mechanism is the Yarkovsky effect, which arises from the asymmetric reradiation emitted by an illuminated rotating body. Not only can the Yarkovsky effect be three orders of magnitude greater than the Poynting-Robertson drag, but the Yarkovsky acceleration can also be either positive or negative, depending on the sense of the body's rotation. The second stage of the proposed mechanism becomes important only when either secular acceleration causes the orbital elements of the body to evolve into a secular resonance with Jupiter. The Yarkovsky acceleration is explicitly calculated for both cylindrical and spherical bodies. When the orbital consequences of this acceleration acting alone on small asteroid-belt fragments are determined, the results are found to be reasonably consistent with both the relative and absolute cosmic-ray exposure ages of stony and iron meteorites.
Teaching About Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities: A National Survey of Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine

Background: The Institute of Medicine and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) have both identified the importance of integrating teaching regarding health disparities into medical education. Thus far most of the limited teaching in this area occurs in the first two years of medical school. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate education in internal medicine clerkships about health disparities and understand barriers to including this content. Method: In 2005, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) conducted their annual, confidential survey. The authors asked about clerkship content addressing ethnic/racial health disparities, means for implementing curricula, and barriers to covering disparities content. For each, there were yes/no statements, multiple-choice questions, and free text responses. Results: The survey response rate was 81% (88/109). Forty-one percent indicated that they cover ethnic/racial health disparities in their clerkship. Of these 36 respondents, ...
Motorist Yielding to Pedestrians at Unsignalized Intersections Findings From a National Study on Improving Pedestrian Safety

This paper evaluates engineering treatments that can be used to improve the safety of pedestrians crossing in marked crosswalks on busy arterial streets. The research team collected extensive data at 42 study sites in different regions of the country to gauge the effectiveness (as measured by motorist yielding or stopping) of various engineering treatments. Motorist yielding data were collected for crossing pedestrians from the general population as well as for crossings staged by the research team. In preliminary analyses, the treatments were grouped into three categories based on function and design: (a) red signal or beacon devices, (b) "active when present" devices, and (c) enhanced and high-visibility treatments. The authors found the red signal or beacon devices to be the most effective, with yielding rates exceeding 94% for all study sites. Other treatments had various rates of motorist yielding, and several variables (number of lanes and speed limit in particular) were statistically significant in...