cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 19243: Using Inpatient Mortality Differential from Weekend Admission to Identify the Role of Hospital Structures: The Case of Ischemic Stroke

Background: Although hospitals vary widely in inpatient mortality (IM) from acute stroke, little is known about the influence of hospital structures, i.e., the setting in which care is delivered. We examine this using a unique study design (difference-in-difference estimation) based on exploiting the within-hospital variation in IM between weekday and weekend admissions, thereby attenuating confounding from unobserved differences across hospitals. Methods: We merged discharge and American Hospital Association data for all hospitalizations for ischemic stroke (N=257,089) from all hospitals (N=407) from four states (AZ, FL, MA and NJ; 2004-08). We estimated a hierarchical logit IM prediction model, including interactions of weekend admission and hospital structure indicators. The odds ratio (OR) of each interaction (difference-in-difference estimate) compares the excess IM from weekend admission (“excess weekend IM”) for hospitals with a structure (say, bed capacity Results: Average hospital IM was 4.7% with interquartile range of 1.0% to 8.9%. Weekend admissions accounted for 25% of all admissions. Average excess weekend IM was +7.5% with hospital interquartile range of -23% to +42%. We examined nine hospital structure indicators (see Table); three structures were associated with significant excess weekend IM - hospitals with a) Conclusion: Hospitals with lower bed capacity, higher daily census and higher stroke volume were associated with significant excess IM from weekend admission for ischemic stroke.
Concerning the radius of convergence of Newton’s method and applications

We present local and semilocal convergence results for Newton’s method in a Banach space setting. In particular, using Lipschitz-type assumptions on the second Frechet-derivative we find results concerning the radius of convergence of Newton’s method. Such results are useful in the context of predictor-corrector continuation procedures. Finally, we provide numerical examples to show that our results can apply where earlier ones using Lipschitz assumption on the first Frechet-derivative fail.
Photoselective Circuitization of Dielectrics Via Electroless Plating Of Metals

The photoreduction of potassium iron (III) oxalate in the presence of palladium (II) chloride results in the selective formation of palladium metal catalyst and initiates the selective plating of metals from electroless solutions. The process can be achieved rapidly with small doses of UV light and metal plating occurs only in the UV exposed regions of the substrate. This process works well on a variety of dielectric materials and uses aqueous solutions which are advantageous for both manufacturing and environmental reasons. This method appears useful for fabricating microelectronic components and its simplicity for creating selective circuit patterns is highlighted.
Dynamics in hard condensed matter probed by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy: Present and beyond

Abstract Insight into the spatial ordering and dynamics of structural heterogeneity in materials is at the heart of understanding their structure and function. X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) measures the dynamic structure factor S ( Q , t ) providing information on the spontaneous low-energy dynamics intrinsic to many materials. Combined with in situ and in operando capabilities, XPCS provides unique insight into a variety of scientific areas, including phase separation in binary alloys, aging in metallic glasses, surface dynamics during growth, domain wall dynamics in ferroic complex oxides and charge and spin density wave motion in quantum materials. This review summarizes some recent XPCS work in these areas and discusses scientific opportunities that will be made possible with the many-fold increase in coherent flux provided by the world-wide construction and commissioning of X-ray sources based on multi-bend achromat (MBA) storage ring (SR) lattices and high repetition rate free electron lasers (FELs).
Statement of Commissioner Gail Heriot in the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ report, Police Use of Force: An Examination of Modern Policing Practices

On November 15, 2018, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights published a report, entitled Police Use of Force: An Examination of Modern Policing Practices. This individual Statement of Commissioner Gail Heriot is a part of that report. In it, Commissioner Heriot points out that, during the Jim Crow Era, the most common complaint among African Americans about law enforcement was that the authorities did not take crime against African Americans seriously. Although that kind of neglect receives little attention in the media today, it continues to be a significant problem. Heriot cautions reformers not to lose sight of that concern. As crime declined in the United States in the 1990s and early 2000s, many African American neighborhoods in many different parts of the country blossomed. While certainly improvements in police practices can be made, it is important not to engage in “reforms” that will discourage police officers from enforcing the law in African American neighborhoods.
Treatment With Tetrahydrobiopterin Improves White Matter Maturation in a Mouse Model for Prenatal Hypoxia in Congenital Heart Disease

Background Reduced oxygen delivery in congenital heart disease causes delayed brain maturation and white matter abnormalities in utero. No treatment currently exists. Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is a...
Constrictive Pericarditis After Lung Transplantation.

Background Constrictive pericarditis is a rare, but increasingly recognized long-term postoperative complication of lung transplantation. Heightened clinical suspicion, improved diagnostic imaging, and effective surgical treatment of the disease have led to progressive awareness of the pathology. We present our institutional experience with constrictive pericarditis after lung transplant in an effort to investigate the cause and natural history of the disease. Methods From October 2005 to October 2018, 1234 patients underwent orthotopic lung transplantation at Duke University Hospital. An institutional database was queried to identify incident patients and determine baseline clinical data. At a median of 11.2 months (interquartile range = 4.6-28.6 mo), 10 patients (0.8%) developed constrictive pericarditis. Simple descriptive statistics were used to describe cohort characteristics and identify variables associated with constrictive pericarditis after lung transplantation. Results The indication for transplantation at index operation was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 8 of 10 patients (1.2% of the 760 restrictive lung disease patients transplanted in the same time period). All 10 patients presented with worsening dyspnea and pleural effusions. Right heart catheterization confirmed constrictive physiology in all cases. Eight patients underwent pericardiectomy with improvement in cardiovascular hemodynamics and resolution of symptoms with no 30-day mortality. Conclusions Diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis should be considered in patients with new-onset heart failure symptoms or recurrent pleural effusions within 2 years of lung transplantation. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may be associated with increased risk for constrictive pericarditis. Pericardiectomy is a safe and effective treatment for posttransplant constrictive pericarditis.
Does NEPA Help or Harm ESA Critical Habitat Designations? An Assessment of Over 600 Critical Habitat Rule

This paper test whether impact analysis pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act delays federal decision making, and whether the NEPA process results in significant changes to the substance of federal decisions. We reviewed 636 rules designating critical habitat for species that are protected by the Endangered Species Act. Because of a circuit court split, some of these rules were subject to NEPA analysis while others were not. In comparing these two groups we found that rules that underwent NEPA analysis were completed more than three months faster than rules that were exempted from NEPA review. We also found that rules that were subject to NEPA review underwent less change in the size of the habitat area between the proposed and final rule than those that were exempted from NEPA.
Perceptions from People Aging with a Mobility Impairment towards using Tele-Technology for Exercise:

Persons aging with a mobility disability encounter barriers to exercise engagement including accessibility to transportation, facilities, and adequately trained instructors. A tele-exercise platfor...
Simple, Private, and Accurate Distributed Averaging

Some distributed optimization applications require privacy, meaning that the values of certain parameters local to a node should not be revealed to other nodes in the network during the joint optimization process. A special case is the problem of private distributed averaging, in which a network of nodes computes the global average of individual node reference parameters in a distributed manner while preserving the privacy of each reference. We present simple iterative methods that guarantee high accuracy (i.e. the exact asymptotic computation of the global average) and high privacy (i.e. no node can estimate another node’s reference value to any meaningful degree). To achieve this, we assume that the digraph modeling the communication between nodes satisfies certain topological conditions. Other related methods in the literature also achieve high accuracy and privacy, but under topological conditions more restrictive than ours. Moreover, our method is simpler because it does not require any initial scrambling phase, it does not inject any noise or other masking signals into the distributed computation, it does not require any random switching of edge weights, and it does not rely on homomorphic encryption.
Safety of deep sedation without intubation during surgical abortion in the independent clinic setting.

Abstract Objective To establish the safety of deep sedation without intubation delivered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in an independent outpatient abortion setting. Study design We performed a review of clinic Quality and Patient Safety Reports, a daily-maintained report of complications at time of all dilation and curettage (DC three (0.03%) in D&C procedures (laryngospasm not requiring intubation [n = 2] and respiratory stridor) and three (0.30%) in D&E procedures (laryngospasm requiring intubation, seizure, and hypotension/bradycardia). Only one patient (0.01%) required intubation. Conclusions Anesthesia-related complications in the setting of deep sedation without intubation during surgical abortion were exceedingly rare, supporting the safety of this form of anesthesia for low-risk patients in an independent community clinic setting. Implications Independent community clinics, where the majority of abortion procedures are performed within the U.S., can provide safe anesthesia care using deep sedation provided by CRNA professionals. This care delivery model, which includes triaging patient eligibility, reassuringly provides anesthesia as safely as other greater resourced care delivery settings.
Common Symptoms in the Adult Solid Organ Transplant Recipient

Solid organ transplant recipients may be seen in primary care and urgent care outpatient settings for a variety of symptoms. When evaluating a new condition, it is important to determine whether the symptoms are related to the transplanted organ, side effects of immunosuppression or medications, or an unrelated illness. This chapter explores several common symptoms that may occur in solid organ transplant recipients, including dyspnea and cough, dysuria, diarrhea, and skin problems.
Analysis on Genetic Diversity of 30 Japonica Rice Varieties Using SSR Markers

Genetic diversity of 30 japonica rice varieties,which were bred by Jiangsu Province or introduced from Japan,was analyzed by 64 SSR primers covered on 12 rice chromosomes.The results indicated that a total of 50 SSR primers performed polymorphism and 140 alleles loci were detected.The average number of alleles per SSR locus was 2.8 with a range from 2 to 5.The effective alleles were 94.336 with average 1.887.The value of allelic polymorphism information content(PIC) ranged from0.064 to 0.752,on an average of 0.410 per SSR marker.The genetic similarity of paired varieties ranged from 0.386 to 0.956,with average 0.719,and the genetic similarity of 81.4%tested materials ranged from 0.600 to 0.800.The results of UPGMA indicated that the 30 rice varieties could be clustered into three groups.Based on the pedigree analysis,it was concluded that the rice varieties in Jiangsu Province had closer genetic relationship with each other and the genetic diversity was not enough at present.It is necessary to explore the genetic resources and enlarge the genetic background in order to increase the yield in current rice breeding.
Primary care provider perspectives on screening mammography in older women: A qualitative study

Abstract Objective Guidelines informing screening mammography for older women are lacking. This study sought to characterize PCP perspectives on screening mammography for patients aged 75 and older. Methods This was an exploratory, qualitative study based on semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with PCPs from six clinics affiliated with a tertiary medical center. Two independent coders analyzed interview transcripts and identified themes, subthemes, and representative quotes using inductive analysis methodology. Results Ten providers completed interviews. The majority (90%) of providers reported insufficient evidence to suggest a best practice for screening in this population. Providers relied on shared decision-making with patients, a process facilitated by strong provider-patient relationships. Providers took into consideration factors such as functional status, personal risk of breast cancer, and patient preference. Time constraints disincentivized providers to engage in discussions. Conclusions PCPs make decisions about screening mammography for older patients on an individualized basis, taking into account patient overall health status and desire for aggressive intervention. They often rely on shared decision-making given unclear clinical guidelines. Practice implications These findings suggest that fostering strong provider-patient relationships, addressing patient knowledge gaps, and compensating providers for time spent on counseling may facilitate cost-efficient and patient-centered utilization of screening mammography.
Is That You Again?: Adaptive Learning Techniques for User Identification in Smart Pill Bottle Systems

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) continues to add more intelligence to various applications, including healthcare. A recent wave of research included the development of pill logging systems that monitor when a pill is extracted. Automatic pill logging systems are an important technology for medication adherence, medication error prevention, and tracing. However, most existing systems do not consider how multi-bottle settings or long-term bottle use can affect their ability to log accurately, forcing frequent re-training/recalibration. In this paper, we present adaptive learning techniques for subject identification across a pair of smart pill bottle systems. We collect inertial signals from subjects taking medication pills and encode the activity signals by transforming them into 2D texture images. Then we use pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models for image-based classification tasks. We evaluate our approach with experiments executed by 10 subjects and achieved improved differentiation capacity over existing models by using deep learning models, modified through domain adaptation and transfer learning.
When is it Safe to Edit the Human Germline

In the fall of 2018 Jiankui He shocked the international community with the following announcement: two female babies, “Lulu” and “Nana,” whose germlines had been modified by the cutting edge, yet profoundly unsafe CRISPR-Cas9 technology had been born. This event galvanized policy makers and scientists to advocate for more explicit and firm regulation of human germline gene editing (GGE). Recent policy proposals attempt to integrate safety considerations and public input to identify specific types of diseases that may be safe targets for human GGE (Sarkar forthcoming; Guttinger. 2019. “Editing the Reactive Genome: Towards Postgenomic Ethics of Germline Editing.” Journal of Applied Philosophy. “Editing the Reactive Genome: Towards Postgenomic Ethics of Germline Editing.” Journal of Applied Philosophy. “Editing the Reactive Genome: Towards Postgenomic Ethics of Germline Editing.” Journal of Applied Philosophy; Lander et al., 2019). This paper argues these policy proposals are inadequate in different ways. While Sarkar (forthcoming) intends to incorporate input from the disability community for the purpose of deciding the value of human GGE, I argue that his strategy for doing so is inadequate. I’ll argue that an iterative, deliberative process is a more appropriate framework for allowing the disability community to inform policy on human GGE. Further policy proposals have been framed in terms of monogenetic or single-gene diseases (Guttinger. 2019. “Editing the Reactive Genome: Towards Postgenomic Ethics of Germline Editing.” Journal of Applied Philosophy. “Editing the Reactive Genome: Towards Postgenomic Ethics of Germline Editing.” Journal of Applied Philosophy. “Editing the Reactive Genome: Towards Postgenomic Ethics of Germline Editing.” Journal of Applied Philosophy; Lander et al., 2019). I argue that this way of conceptualizing disease is not what matters for deciding which disorders are viable candidates for human GGE. Instead, what matters is that (1) the disease in question must have (among its set of causes) genes that have a high degree of causal control with respect to the disease and (2) alternative nucleic acid sequences variants that are likely to produce traits deemed desirable must be identified. Previous policy proposals leave (2) unspecified. What conditions must be met for satisfying condition (2) should not be left to individual scientists to decide for themselves. The present proposal offers some guidance on this issue.
Forensic Epidemiology in the Global Context: A Case Study of Pfizer and the Trovafloxacin Trial

Events in one part of the world often have considerable repercussions and implications for populations living, working, and traveling far afield from where the original incidents may have occurred. This chapter uses the trovafloxacin clinical trial to illustrate both the critical role to be played in such cases by epidemiologists and epidemiologic methods and the legal issues that surround the use of epidemiology in the legal resolution of such cases, that is, the role of forensic epidemiology. The proceedings in this case demonstrate the interplay between law and epidemiology and the increasing internationalization of epidemiologic and clinical investigations. The court’s recognition of the relationship between Pfizer’s conduct and the provisions of various human right accords and declarations suggests that the field of forensic epidemiology must move beyond consideration of only the uses of epidemiology in litigation and other legal functions to address, as well, issues of human rights and ethics.
Symposium: Essays Honoring Ellis R. Kerley, Ph.D. (1924–1998)

This collection of essays was organized and edited by Douglas A. Ubelaker, P11.D. of the Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. and Richard L. Jantz, Ph.D. of the Department of Anthropology of the University of Tennessee. Knoxville. The symposium was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Reno. NV, within the physical anthropology section. on February 25, 2000.
Children, Objects, and Relations: Constructivist Foundations in the Reggio Emilia Approach.

This article examines how children’s construction of relationships in exploring materials helps to explain the constructivist foundations of the Reggio Emilia approach. A quasi-naturalistic study of 12 preschool children, ages 3 and 4 years, individually exploring different kinds of collage papers reveals a range of constructivist categories including physical knowledge responses, mental relationships, and symbolic representation responses. The results show that as children explore the physical properties of media, they become more familiar with the affordances, or capacities of materials. Development across the ages of the group progresses from the children’s exploratory actions on the objects to their increasingly more complex relationships to support a range of emerging representations—props of symbolic play, letters of the alphabet, and stand-alone artistic representation. These constructivist underpinnings emphasize the origins of Reggio Emilia’s relational pedagogy and support today’s playful relati...
Exploring the Role of Tanezumab as a Novel Treatment for the Relief of Neuropathic Pain

Objective Evaluate efficacy and safety of tanezumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor, in neuropathic pain. Design Two randomized controlled trials. Subjects Patients with pain due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) or postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods In the DPN study, patients received subcutaneous tanezumab 20 mg or placebo on Day 1 and Week 8. Evaluations included change from baseline in average DPN pain (primary endpoint), Patient's Global Assessment of DPN, and safety (including neuropathy assessments). Due to a partial clinical hold limiting enrollment and treatment duration, the prespecified landmark analysis was modified post hoc from Week 16 to Week 8. In the PHN study, patients received intravenous tanezumab 50 μg/kg, tanezumab 200 μg/kg, or placebo on Day 1. Evaluations included change from baseline in average daily pain (primary endpoint), Brief Pain Inventory-short form, Patient's Global Assessment of pain from PHN, and safety. Results Mean DPN pain reduction from baseline to Week 8 was greater with tanezumab vs placebo (P = 0.009); differences in Patient's Global Assessment of DPN were not significant (P > 0.05). Neither tanezumab dose resulted in significant differences vs placebo in efficacy in PHN (P > 0.05), although tanezumab 200 μg/kg provided some benefit. Neuropathy assessments showed no meaningful changes. Conclusions Tanezumab provided effective pain reduction in DPN. In PHN, only the highest tanezumab dose reduced pain; treatment differences were not significant. No new safety concerns were observed despite preexisting neuropathy.
Watching a disappearing shield

The remote-sensing techniques used to monitor atmospheric ozone levels are reviewed, and recent results are discussed. The importance of the ozone layer as a shield for UV radiation is stressed, and the impact of human activities generating ozone-destroying compounds is considered. Ground-based, airborne, balloon-borne, and satellite remote-sensing methods are shown to complement each other to provide both global coverage and detailed structural information. Data obtained with the Nimbus-7 TOMS and solar-backscatter UV instruments are presented in graphs and briefly characterized.
Comparison of Attenuated Live Pasteurella multocida Vaccine Given in the Drinking Water Every Two Weeks to an Injected Oil-Base Bacterin Administered to Turkeys

Abstract HARSCHFIELD (1965) has reviewed the literature with reference to immunization against fowl cholera. His only reference to a living vaccine was Pasteur’s attenuated fowl cholera vaccine. Hayden (1914) produced immunity against Pasteurella multocida in rabbits, chickens, and pigeons by injecting an avirulent live P. multocida vaccine. Sinha et al. (1957) found that a living avirulent mouse strain of P. multocida was a better immunizing agent than heat-killed strains. Ose et al. (1963) reported on the use of an avirulent oral live erysipelas vaccine for use in swine; this type vaccine is presently produced commercially. Bain (1963), referring to pasteurellosis in cattle, has suggested that with improved methods of technology, living attenuated vaccines may become the main method of prophylaxsis in the future. Heddleston and Rebers (1968) have reported that active immunity was induced in chickens and turkeys by oral administration of a killed P. multocida vaccine. Bierer and Eleazer (1968)…
Characteristics of composited AVHRR data and problems in their classification

Abstract Unsupervised classification procedures were applied to a temporal sequence of fifteen bi-weekly composited NDVI images produced from AVHRR LAC data. Individual examination of the input images appeared to show substantial contamination due to clouds which persist through the compositing period. These apparent cloud features dominated the results of the clustering procedures. The composites also include large numbers of far off-nadir pixels. This causes severe spatial smoothing and produces a blurred image appearance. Further combining the data to monthly composites largely eliminated the cloud cover problem, but did not necessarily reduce the frequency of large view zenith angles. Preprocessing of high temporal frequency; low spatial resolution data such as that provided by AVHRR and the planned EOS MODIS instrument must more effectively remove the effects of clouds, correct for anisotropic scattering from the atmosphere and bi-directional reflectance from the surface, and should be biased towards...
Violation of Assumed Normality in Traditional Multidimensional Scaling

Traditional multidimensional scaling is a two-stage procedure. Thurstone's comparative judgment model is often used in the initial stage to determine the perceived distance between pairs of objects, under the assumption that the perceived distance between each pair is normally distributed across a population of subjects. These distances are used in the second stage to construct a geometric configuration of the objects in multidimensional space. A stimulation method was employed to study the effect of nonnormally distributed distances on the accuracy of the recovered configuration. Accurate configurations were generated from a variety of nonnormal distributions. Thus, the multidimensional scaling procedure appears to be robust with respect to violations of the normality assumption inherent in the comparative judgment model.
SLATER TRANSITION-STATE CALCULATIONS OF DIPOLE OSCILLATOR STRENGTHS IN NOBLE METAL ISO-ELECTRONIC SERIES

Dipole oscillator strengths corresponding to the Rydberg transition (ns → np) within Cu, Ag, and Au isoelectronic series have been calculated using the relativistic local density functional including correlation effects. The Slater transition state concept has been employed. Numerical comparisons between the oscillator strengths of noble and alkali metal isoelectronic series are reported.
IceCube: Construction status and first results

Abstract IceCube is a 1 km 3 neutrino telescope currently under construction at the South Pole. The detector will consist of 4800 optical sensors deployed at depths between 1450 and 2500 m in clear Antarctic ice evenly distributed over 80 strings. An air shower array covering a surface area of 1 km 2 above the in-ice detector will measure cosmic ray air showers in the energy range from 300 TeV to above 1 EeV. The detector is designed to detect neutrinos of all flavors: ν e , ν μ and ν τ . With 40 strings in operation in 2008, construction is 50% complete. Based on data taken to date, the observatory meets its design goals and currently exceeds the sensitivity of AMANDA and previous neutrino telescopes. The construction outlook and possible future extensions are also discussed.
Regulation of Polarized Extension and Planar Cell Polarity in the Cochlea by the Vertebrate PCP Pathway

The mammalian auditory sensory organ, the organ of Corti, consists of sensory hair cells with uniformly oriented stereocilia on the apical surfaces and has a distinct planar cell polarity (PCP) parallel to the sensory epithelium1,2,3. It is not certain how this polarity is achieved during differentiation4,5. Here we show that the organ of Corti is formed from a thicker and shorter postmitotic primordium through unidirectional extension, characteristic of cellular intercalation known as convergent extension6. Mutations in the PCP pathway interfere with this extension, resulting a shorter and wider cochlea as well as misorientation of stereocilia. Furthermore, parallel to the homologous pathway in Drosophila melanogaster7,8, a mammalian PCP component Dishevelled2 shows PCP-dependent polarized subcellular localization across the organ of Corti. Taken together, these data suggest that there is a conserved molecular mechanism for PCP pathways in invertebrates and vertebrates and indicate that the mammalian PCP pathway might directly couple cellular intercalations to PCP establishment in the cochlea.
A taxometric method for diagnosis of tardive dyskinesia.

Abstract A taxometric method for diagnosis of drug-induced tardive dyskinesia is described. The method, using items from the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) as indicators of the syndrome, is applied in a sample of children diagnosed earlier as autistic and participating in an ongoing treatment program. The method includes procedures for estimation of the prevalence rate of the syndrome and the valid positive and false positive rates for each indicator of the syndrome and it includes tests (referred to as “consistency tests”) for checking the internal validity or goodness-of-fit of the statistical model. The agreement of the taxometric classification with that obtained by using criteria suggested by Schooler and Kane was very good. In general, the results were encouraging enough to warrant further study of this kind of method for the detection and diagnosis of tardive dyskinesia.
Palmitoleic acid inRoureopsis obliquifoliata (Connaraceae) Seed oil

Roureopsis obliquifoliata Schellenberg seeds contain an oil (45% by weight) comprised primarily of 16-carbon fatty acids. Palmitic acid constitutes 50% of the fatty acids, palmitoleic acid 32%, and small amounts of the usual C18 acids make up the remainder. Identifications were based on Chromatographic properties of the acids and their ozonolysis products.
Now How Much of Your Print Collection Is Really Online? An Analysis of the Overlap of Print and Digital Holdings at the University of Oregon Law Library

As more and more primary and secondary legal materials are published in electronic format, law libraries need to constantly reexamine the need to maintain and collect print collections. In this article, the author examines how much of print collections are available online by focusing on the collection of the University of Oregon Law Library.
Link analysis of Mars-Earth optical communications system

A systems-level analysis of a high data rate Mars to Earth optical communications link is presented. A feasibility of a minimum 10 Mb/s optical link with the possibility of achieving > 100 Mb/s under certain conditions will be shown. The link design employs a Pulse Position Modulated (PPM) 1.06 μm Mars transmitter with a photon-counting Earth receiver. This study will characterize system performance (link data rate) as a function of orbital position including the complex diurnal and annual variations in the Mars-Earth system. Key system impairments that vary diurnally/annually include loss and turbulence due to the Earth's atmosphere, daytime/nighttime sky background noise, background noise from Mars itself, and space loss due to the relative planetary distances. In addition, transmitter/receiver design parameters and their impact on system performance are discussed.
Daily temperature variations on Mars

It is noted that for approximately 32% of the Martian surface area no values of thermal inertia or albedo can fit the thermal observations. These temperature anomalies do not correlate with elevation, geologic units, morphology, or atmospheric dust content. All regions having a Lambert albedo less than 0.18 can be well fit with the standard thermal model, but all areas with albedo greater than 0.28 are anomalous. A strong inverse correlation is seen between the magnitude of the anomaly and the thermal inertia. This correlation is seen as indicating that some surface property is responsible for the anomaly. In the anomalous region the temperatures are observed to be warmer in the morning and cooler late in the afternoon and to decrease more slowly during the night than the Viking model temperatures. It is believed that of all the physical processes likely to occur on Mars but not included in the Viking thermal model, only a layered soil can explain the observations. A possible explanation of the layering deduced from the infrared thermal mapper observations is a layer of aeolian deposited dust about one thermal skin depth thick (1 to 4 cm), covering a duricrust.
Anti-inflammatory properties and pharmacological induction of Hsp70 after brain injury

The 70-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp70) is thought to protect the brain from a variety of insults. Although the mechanism has been largely limited to its chaperone functions, recent work indicates that Hsp70 also modulates inflammatory pathways. Brain injury and ischemia are associated with an immune response that is largely innate. Hsp70 appears to suppress this response and lead to improved neurological outcome. However, most of this work has relied on the use of genetic mutant models or Hsp70 overexpression using gene transfer or heat stress, thus limiting its translational utility. A few compounds have been studied by various disciplines which, through their ability to inhibit Hsp90, can cause induction of Hsp70. The investigation of Hsp70-inducing pharmacological compounds has obvious clinical implications in terms of potential therapies to mitigate neuroinflammation and lead to neuroprotection from stroke or traumatic brain injury. This review will focus on the inflammation modulating properties of Hsp70, and the current literature surrounding the pharmacological induction in acute neurological injury models with comments on potential applications at the clinical level.
On the common right factors of meromorphic functions

In this paper, common right factors (in the sense of composition) of p 1 + p 2 F and p 3 + p 4 F are investigated. Here, F is a transcendental meromorphic function and p i 's are non-zero polynomials. Moreover, we also prove that the quotient ( p 1 + p 2 F )/( p 3 + p 4 F ) is pseudo-prime under some restrictions on F and the p i 's. As an application of our results, we have proved that R ( z ) H ( z )is pseudo-prime for any nonconstant rational function R ( z ) and finite order periodic entire function H ( z ).
Spectral Analysis of Random Shrinkage Stresses in Concrete

Random variation of environmental humidity is characterized by its power spectrum, and random variation of pore humidity and stresses in a halfspace is analyzed under the assumption that the problem is linear (or linearized). The diffusion equation and the superposition integral for stress relaxation are used. The dependence of both the creep properties and the drying diffusivity on age is taken into account. Complex variable expressions for the frequency response functions of humidity and stress are obtained, and are evaluated numerically. In contrast to nonaging structures, these functions depend on both the current age of concrete and the age when drying starts. The standard deviations of pore humidity and of stress exhibit oscillations about a drifting mean. For typical diffusivities of concrete, the solution is non-stationary for at least 50 yrs, and for environmental fluctuations whose period does not exceed one year, the fluctuations are not felt at depths over 20 cm below the surface. Since, even for aging structures, the spectral densities of input and response are related algebraically, the spectral method is computationally more efficient than the impulse response function method, in which the autocorrelation functions of the input and the response are related by integrals.
The Effect of Gartanin, a Naturally Occurring Xanthone in Mangosteen Juice, on the mTOR Pathway, Autophagy, Apoptosis, and the Growth of Human Urinary Bladder Cancer Cell Lines

Garcinia mangostana, often referred to as mangosteen, is a fruit grown in Southeast Asia and has been used for centuries as a local beverage and natural medicine. Its bioactive compounds, xanthones (i.e., gartanin, α-mangostin, etc), have reported effects on ailments ranging from skin infections and inflammation to urinary tract infections. We demonstrate that mangosteen xanthones (i.e., gartanin and α-mangostin) at pharmacologically achievable concentrations inhibit the growth of cancer cell lines from different stages of human urinary bladder cancer. The growth inhibitory effects of gartanin in mouse embryonic fibroblasts are at least in part dependent on the existence of p53 or TSC1. Indeed, further studies have shown that gartanin treatment of bladder cancer cell lines T24 and RT4 resulted in a marked suppression of p70S6 and 4E-BP1 expression and induction of autophagy, suggesting the inhibition of the mTOR pathway. In addition, gartanin downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and activated the p53 pathway leading to apoptosis induction. Together, these results suggested that gartanin is a multiple targeting agent that is suitable for further study into its chemopreventive properties for human urinary bladder cancer.
Women and Gender in European Politics Courses: Exploring the Scandinavian Welfare States.

It is important to note that most accessible texts dealing with Scandinavian politics and society do not adequately treat gender issues. For example, Esping-Andersen's Politics Against Markets (1985) makes almost no mention of the changing position of women. Einhorn and Logue's Modem Welfare States (1989) has some coverage, but is not sensitive enough to the important ways in which gendering changes our interpretations and evaluations (e.g., Sainsbury 1994; Hernes 1988; Sassoon 1987; Dahlerup 1986; HaavioMannila, et al. 1985). On the other hand, feminist scholars have contributed critical perspectives and findings, but these will only have meaning for an undergraduate audience that already understands the mainstream literature on the social democratic welfare state. Thus, one has to alternate between main texts and
Sap extraction device for sampling potato leaves and tubers.

An adaptation of a metal shop crimping machine with knurled rollers and driven with a foot-switch activated, geared-down electric motor was used to express sap from potato foliage or tuber pieces placed in triangular polythylene envelopes.
Human eotaxin is a specific chemoattractant for eosinophil cells and provides a new mechanism to explain tissue eosinophilia.

Eotaxin is an eosinophil–specific chemoattractant that has been recently identified in rodent models of asthma and host response against tumors. To determine whether a similar molecule might play a role in human inflammatory diseases characterized by eosinophilia, we isolated the human eotaxin gene. We demonstrate that human eotaxin is an early response gene of cytokine–stimulated epithelial and endothelial cells, and is induced in peripheral blood eosinophils by interleukin–3. Eotaxin is directly chemotactic for eosinophils, but not mononuclear cells or neutrophils. Eotaxin messenger RNA accumulates markedly in the lesions of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), but not in the lesions of patients with diverticulitis. These results now provide a mechanism involving eotaxin to explain the eosinophil infiltration seen in a variety of human diseases; as such, an eotaxin antagonist may be a novel therapy for certain human diseases characterized by tissue eosinophilia.
Alternative splicing in bone following mechanical loading.

It is estimated that more than 90% of human genes express multiple mRNA transcripts due to alternative splicing. Consequently, the proteins produced by different splice variants will likely have different functions and expression levels. Several genes with splice variants are known in bone, with functions that affect osteoblast function and bone formation. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the extent of alternative splicing in a bone subjected to mechanical loading and subsequent bone formation. We used the rat forelimb loading model, in which the right forelimb was loaded axially for 3 min, while the left forearm served as a non-loaded control. Animals were subjected to loading sessions every day, with 24 h between sessions. Ulnae were sampled at 11 time points, from 4 h to 32 days after beginning loading. RNA was isolated and mRNA abundance was measured at each time point using Affymetrix exon arrays (GeneChip® Rat Exon 1.0 ST Arrays). An ANOVA model was used to identify potential alternatively spliced genes across the time course, and five alternatively spliced genes were validated with qPCR: Akap12, Fn1, Pcolce, Sfrp4, and Tpm1. The number of alternatively spliced genes varied with time, ranging from a low of 68 at 12 h to a high of 992 at 16d. We identified genes across the time course that encoded proteins with known functions in bone formation, including collagens, matrix proteins, and components of the Wnt/β-catenin and TGF-β signaling pathways. We also identified alternatively spliced genes encoding cytokines, ion channels, muscle-related genes, and solute carriers that do not have a known function in bone formation and represent potentially novel findings. In addition, a functional characterization was performed to categorize the global functions of the alternatively spliced genes in our data set. In conclusion, mechanical loading induces alternative splicing in bone, which may play an important role in the response of bone to mechanical loading.
Toll-Like Receptor Activation in Immunity vs. Tolerance in Autoimmune Diabetes.

Toll-like receptors: Key receptors of the innate immune system The human body constantly encounters a diverse spectrum of pathogens. To defend itself, a complex immune system has evolved consisting of two subdivisions: the innate and the adaptive immune systems. The innate immune system constitutes the so-called “first line of defense” and acts through highly conserved germ-line-encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) (1). These receptors bind to common pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which are vital for the survival of the microorganisms and cannot be altered by mutations. Pattern recognition receptors were first discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The PRRs in Drosophila, named Toll, play an important role in the recognition of microorganisms such as fungi as well as coordinating embryonic development of the dorso-ventral axis. Homologs of Toll in vertebrates are called Toll-like receptors (TLRs). The first TLR in humans was described in 1997 (2). To date, another 9 TLRs have been identified in humans and 13 in mice. Among these, only murine TLR10 is non-functional due to retrovirus insertion (3). Except for TLRs 3, 7, 8, and 9, which are expressed intracellularly, TLRs are located on the surface of innate and adaptive immune cells as well as on non-immune cells such as muscle cells, epithelial cells, adipocytes, and pancreatic beta cells (1). Cell-surface TLRs detect exogenous lipids, lipoproteins, and proteins from microbes; intracellular TLRs recognize bacterial and viral nucleic acids (3). Recognition of their cognate ligand triggers a complex signaling cascade that ultimately results in the induction of various pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and the activation of the adaptive immune system. However, the activation of TLRs and the subsequent induction of inflammatory immune responses are not always beneficial to the host. TLRs are involved in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune and non-infective inflammatory diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, arteriosclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, allergy, and cancer (4, 5). Their activation can either attenuate or boost the course of disease by inducing tolerance or triggering autoreactivity, respectively. The role of the TLRs in the pathogenesis of autoimmune-mediated diabetes, also referred to as type 1 diabetes (T1D), has been extensively studied (Table ​(Table1).1). T1D is a T-cell-mediated metabolic disorder with progressive destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells (6). During the course of disease development, diabetogenic T-cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells will infiltrate the pancreatic islets and cause islet inflammation and eventually β cell loss. Table 1 TLR-related studies in the field of T1D. This opinion letter focuses on the beneficial and detrimental aspects of TLR induction in the course of T1D development.
Federalist No. 70: Can the Public Service Survive in the Contest Between Hamilton’s Aspirations and Madison’s Reality?

Federalist No. 70 is widely viewed as a sweeping description and defense of the need for energy in the executive. This essay begins this detailed examination of Federalist No. 70 by comparing Alexander Hamilton’s ideals with James Madison’s more cautionary exposition on separated powers. According to the author, Hamilton’s notion of a public service driven by honor eventually was undermined by partisanship and congressional prerogatives expressed in the rise of a “businesslike” path away from corruption and waste. The essay concludes with a brief description of a “counterfactual” revision to Federalist No. 70 containing a conception of good public service with a capacity to resist the incursions of expanding democratization and political parties.
Toxicologic studies on polyphenyl compounds used as atomic reactor moderator-coolants

Abstract A study has been made of certain aspects of the toxicology of organic polyphenyl compounds proposed for use as moderator-coolants in atomic reactors. Only monoisopropylbiphenyl, irradiated monoisopropylbiphenyl, and terphenyl mixture (OMRE) were irritating to the conjunctiva in rabbits and only the unirradiated moderator-coolants caused skin irritation in rabbits. Both the moderators and their components were highly damaging to guinea pig skin following intracutaneous injection. All the polyphenyl compounds except irradiated monoisopropylbiphenyl produced sensitization and chemical necrosis. The latter produced only necrosis. Monoisopropylbiphenyl and o- and m-terphenyl were the only polyphenyls that caused death after inhalation, although all of the compounds produced some of the following symptoms: nasal congestion with rhinitis, lachrymation, labored respiration, erythema of the ears and paws. The following histopathologic changes were also observed: acute tracheal necrosis, acute tracheobronchitis, pulmonary edema, bronchopneumonia, atelectasis, and petechial hemorrhages. All such toxic effects can be prevented by protective clothing and respirators.
Endoscopic direct transnasal sphenoidotomy: The superior turbinectomy approach

Abstract The endoscopic direct transnasal sphenoidotomy is described in detail. It is currently our procedure of choice for management of isolated sphenoid sinus disease and for transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.
Modified multirevolution integration methods for satellite orbit computation

Multirevolution methods allow for the computation of satellite orbits in steps spanning many revolutions. The methods previously discussed in the literature are based on polynomial approximations, and as a result they will integrate exactly (excluding round-off errors) polynomial functions of a discrete independent variable. Modified methods are derived that will integrate exactly products of linear and periodic functions. Numerical examples are given that show that these new methods provide better accuracy for certain satellite problems. It is also shown that information obtained from an approximate analytical solution of the satellite equations of motion, may be used to increase the accuracy and/or efficiency of the multirevolution integration.