cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors and Consequences of Loss to Follow-up after Vascular Surgery

Background Loss to follow-up (LTF) after surgery impacts quality of care and can adversely affect short- and long-term clinical outcomes. This study identifies modifiable factors contributing to LTF after vascular surgery and the factors’ effect on short- and long-term clinical outcomes. Methods This is a retrospective single-center cohort study of 440 consecutive adult patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy, infrainguinal bypass, percutaneous lower extremity revascularization, or endovascular aortic aneurysm repair at Northwestern Memorial Hospital between November 2011 and November 2013. Twenty-six patients who died within 9 months after surgery were excluded because of competing risks with the study end points. Demographics, medical history and medications, hospitalization and procedure-related factors, and postoperative complications were collected from the medical record. The primary end point was LTF 1 month after surgery (LTF1M), defined as lack of an in-person outpatient visit with a vascular surgeon 1 month after the index procedure. Secondary outcomes were LTF 1 year after surgery (LTF1Y), defined as lack of an in-person outpatient visit with a vascular surgeon between 9 and 22 months after discharge, and overall 5-year survival. Results Overall LTF1M and LTF1Y rates were 27.3% and 46.8%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no difference in survival based on the LTF1M status (P = 0.72), but patients who were LTF1Y had significantly worse survival at 5 years (P Conclusions LTF rates after vascular surgery are high and associated with poor long-term outcomes. Patients who did not see a nonvascular surgeon specialist at our institution had higher rates of LTF1Y and worse overall mortality, suggesting that improved integration of care can improve LTF and survival.
Psychological Aspects of Infertility

Overall research findings on the relationship between stress and infertility are inconsistent, marked by design flaws, and ultimately may only result in a minor delay in time to pregnancy but not in overall pregnancy chances. Although anecdotal data is widely shared, it appears that only anecdotes which support the relationship between stress and fertility are shared, thus creating a confirmation bias which likely supports what patients and others may want to believe: that we as human beings have a great deal of control over our fertility. It is likely the fear that we do not have control over our fertility and that fertility is inherently unfair, and not as easy as we would hope, results in the symptoms of anxiety and depression found among fertility patients. Further, for generations, women in particular have suffered in silence following infertility and miscarriage out of fear that they would be blamed by others for causing these outcomes by being too stressed. Given the psychological sequelae of infertility and fertility treatments, high-quality fertility care should include embedded mental health professionals trained in reproductive health to improve patient mood and coping, to improve the informed consent process, and to reduce premature treatment termination.
Electro-optic response in holographic polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals

Previous work has reported that polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLCs) have shown dynamic photonic properties with the application of direct current (DC) field, including bandwidth broadening, switchable scattering, red tuning and blue tuning. Recently, we have prepared holographic polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals reflection gratings (H-PSCLCs). High order diffraction peaks, such as the second or/and third order diffraction peaks, are observed from the H-PSCLC samples written with a 363.8 nm Argon laser. The higher order reflection bands are caused by the deformed helical structure of the polymer stabilizing network formed under reflection grating conditions. The spectral position of the second-order reflection band is simply adjusted by chiral dopant concentrations in the CLC mixture. The selective main and higher order reflection notches can be red-tuned and broadened by the application of DC fields.
A CONSTITUENT QUARK-ANTIQUARK EFFECTIVE LAGRANGIAN BASED ON THE DUAL SUPERCONDUCTING MODEL OF LONG DISTANCE QCD

We review the assumptions leading to the description of long distance QCD by a Lagrangian density expressed in terms of dual potentials. We find the color field distribution surrounding a quark-antiquark pair to first order in their velocities. Using this distribution we eliminate the dual potentials from the Lagrangian density and obtain an effective interaction Lagrangian LI(x1, x2; v1, v2) depending only upon the quark and antiquark coordinates and velocities, valid to second order in their velocities. We propose LI as the Lagrangian describing the long distance interaction between constituent quarks. In this paper, for simplicity of presentation, we treat the quarks as classical particles.
Comparison of Anticoagulation Strategies in Patients Requiring Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Heparin Versus Bivalirudin.

OBJECTIVES Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a life-sustaining therapy for severe respiratory failure. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuits require systemic anticoagulation that creates a delicate balance between circuit-related thrombosis and bleeding-related complications. Although unfractionated heparin is most widely used anticoagulant, alternative agents such as bivalirudin have been used. We sought to compare extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit thrombosis and bleeding-related outcomes in respiratory failure patients receiving either unfractionated heparin or bivalirudin for anticoagulation on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Single-center, cardiothoracic ICU. PATIENTS Consecutive patients requiring venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation who were maintained on anticoagulation between 2013 and 2020. INTERNVENTIONS IV bivalirudin or IV unfractionated heparin. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Primary outcomes were the presence of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in-circuit-related thrombotic complications and volume of blood products administered during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation duration. One hundred sixty-two patients receiving unfractionated heparin were compared with 133 patients receiving bivalirudin for anticoagulation on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. In patients receiving bivalirudin, there was an overall decrease in the number of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit thrombotic complications (p < 0.005) and a significant increase in time to circuit thrombosis (p = 0.007). Multivariable Cox regression found that heparin was associated with a significant increase in risk of clots (Exp[B] = 2.31, p = 0.001). Patients who received bivalirudin received significantly less volume of packed RBCs, fresh frozen plasma, and platelet transfusion (p < 0.001 for each). There was a significant decrease in the number major bleeding events in patients receiving bivalirudin, 40.7% versus 11.7%, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS Patients receiving bivalirudin for systemic anticoagulation on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation experienced a decrease in the number of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit-related thrombotic events as well as a significant decrease in volume of blood products administered.
Technology transcending ideologies: Chinese cinema technicians at Manying

At the Manchurian Film Association (or, Manying), Chinese technicians developed technological expertise under the instruction of Japanese specialists and demonstrated solid achievements. Yet they e...
SALEACH: A new web-based soil salinity leaching model for improved irrigation management

Abstract Leaching is essential in irrigated croplands where natural precipitation is insufficient to control salinity buildup. Several useful models exist for salinity management; however, leaching requirement (LR) calculations are based on steady-state approaches that only consider salinity tolerance of crops and irrigation water salinity to estimate the LR. In this study, a web-based soil salinity leaching management model (SALEACH) was developed as an online tool to assist growers for better and easier management of soil salinity to sustain agricultural production in irrigated croplands. SALEACH employs the traditional steady-state approach to estimate LRs but improves outputs by not only considering irrigation water salinity (ECiw) and salinity tolerance of specific crops (ECt), but also root water uptake patterns to account for irrigation system differences, and soil types for differences in hydraulic characteristics, as well as water stress and rainfall input. The SALEACH model can calculate the required irrigation water depth by using the estimated LR or any user-specified leaching fraction (LF) values; it can predict the drainage water salinity and soil salinity in the rootzone based on the applied leaching; and it can estimate relative crop yield for a given LF. SALEACH-estimated LRs were assessed in different soil types and irrigation systems by comparing them with LRs, soil water and drainage water salinity values obtained from an existing steady-state model (WATSUIT) and a transient-state model (HYDRUS-1D). Statistical analyses showed that SALEACH-estimated LRs, soil salinity, and drainage water salinity were all in the acceptable ranges of the corresponding values derived from other models. Thus, we conclude SALEACH is reliable and can be employed by practitioners to produce satisfactory estimations of LRs and soil salinity by considering the soil, crop, water quality, and irrigation system. Adoption of the model can improve water use efficiency and reduce groundwater pollution.
A Comparative Study of Layer Heating and Continuous Heating Methods on Prediction Accuracy of Residual Stresses in Selective Laser Melted Tube Samples

Thermal distortion and residual stresses are two important factors that affect the quality and reliability of steel parts manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes. A cost-effective model for evaluation of those heat effects is needed to refine the manufacturing process and provides insights into the product design and heat treatment. In this study, the layer heating method and sophisticated track-layer scanning method were applied to simulate the thermo-mechanical response of IN625 tube parts built by LPBF. Based on the similarity of temperature field in each layer deposit, a swept mesh was constructed to perform the thermal analysis for top layer, with the rest of layers referring to the temperature by node number offsetting. A novel explicit finite element analysis code accelerated by graphics processing unit was used for the massive-element numerical analysis. The computational accuracy and efficiency of the layer heating and track-layer scanning methods were compared in detail. It is shown that layer heating method can efficiently capture the pattern of stress distribution with reasonable accuracy in stress magnitude. The grouped track-layer scanning method can predict the residual stress and strain more accurately at a higher cost (5 ~ 10×). The elastic strain distribution was compared with the measurement by X-ray diffraction, confirming the accuracy of residual stress prediction.
Pneumococcal Disease Prevention Among Adults

Use of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines among children in the U.S. since 2000 has dramatically reduced pneumococcal disease burden among adults. Significant vaccine-preventable morbidity and mortality from pneumococcal infections still remains, especially among older adults. The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recently recommended the routine use of both pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13) and polysaccharide vaccines (PPSV23) for adults ≥65 years. These recommendations were based on the remaining burden of illness among adults and the importance of non-bacteremic pneumonia prevention in light of new evidence confirming the efficacy of PCV13 to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia among older adults. This paper reviews the evidence that led ACIP to make recommendations for PCV13 and PPSV23 use among adults, and highlights potential gaps to be addressed by future studies to inform adult vaccination policy. The changing epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia should be closely monitored to evaluate the effectiveness and continued utility of the current vaccination strategy, and to identify future directions for pneumococcal disease prevention among older adults.
Linking host plants to damage types in the fossil record of insect herbivory

Studies of insect herbivory on fossilized leaves tend to focus on a few, relatively simple metrics that are agnostic to the distribution of insect damage types among host plants. More complex metrics that link particular damage types to particular host plants have the potential to address additional ecological questions, but such metrics can be biased by sampling incompleteness due to the difficulty of distinguishing the true absence of a particular interaction from the failure to detect it---a challenge that has been raised in the ecological literature. We evaluate a range of methods for characterizing the relationships between damage types and host plants by performing resampling and subsampling exercises on a variety of datasets. We found that the components of beta diversity provide a more valid, reliable, and interpretable method for comparing component communities than do bipartite network metrics. We found the rarefaction of interactions to be a valid, reliable, and interpretable method for comparing compound communities. Both beta diversity and rarefaction of interactions avoid the potential pitfalls of multiple comparisons. Lastly, we found that the host specificity of individual damage types is challenging to assess. Whereas some previously used methods are sufficiently biased by sampling incompleteness to be inappropriate for fossil herbivory data, alternatives exist that are perfectly suitable for fossil datasets with sufficient sample coverage.
On the Functional Origins of Essentialism

This essay examines the proposal that psychological essentialism results from a history of natural selection acting on human representation and inference systems. It has been argued that the features that distinguish essentialist representational systems are especially well suited for representing natural kinds. If the evolved function of essentialism is to exploit the rich inductive potential of such kinds, then it must be subserved by cognitive mechanisms that carry out at least three distinct functions: identifying these kinds in the environment, constructing essentialized representations of them, and constraining inductive inferences about kinds. Moreover, there are different kinds of kinds, ranging from nonliving substances to biological taxa to within-species kinds such as sex, and the causal processes that render these categories coherent for the purposes of inductive generalization vary. If the evolved function of essentialism is to support inductive generalization under ignorance of true causes, and if kinds of kinds vary in the implicit assumptions that support valid inductive inferences about them, then we expect different, functionally incompatible modes of essentialist thinking for different kinds. In particular, there should be differences in how biological and nonbiological substances, biological taxa, and biological and social role kinds are essentialized. The functional differences between these kinds of essentialism are discussed.
Surprise Endings: Cephalus and the Indispensable Teacher of Republic X1

Plato imputes an important form of understanding to Cephalus in Book I of the Republic and revisits it at the end of Book X. Plato's astute observations of mental life in old age tie Cephalus’ conversation to the concept of “life review” in contemporary geriatric psychology. This provides the basis for an argument that Cephalus exemplifies the indispensable teacher described in Book X, and this raises interesting new epistemological and ethical issues. Finally, I ask why commentaries on the Republic have overlooked this theme, and argue that an ageist bias against Cephalus has distorted commentators’ reading of the text.
Selenium Poisoning of Wildlife and Western Agriculture: Cause and Effect

This project examined the hypothesis that selenium contamination is not the principal cause of the decline of endemic fish species in the Upper Colorado Basin. Activities employed to test this hypothesis included a reconnaissance of locations altered by recent road construction, a re-interpretation of available literature regarding selenium toxicity, and the interpretation of unpublished data obtained from the Upper Colorado Basin Fish Recovery Program. The project demonstrates that most of the evidence implicating selenium is circumstantial.
Differences in coagulation in clotting of vascular access in hemodialysis patients

Arteriovenous graft (AVG) thrombosis is a frequent cause of graft failure. We evaluated coagulation protein concentrations, platelet function, and viscoelasticity factors in 20 hemodialysis (HD) patients with AVGs. The goal was to determine whether significant differences in protein concentrations, platelet function, and viscoelasticity factors exist among dialysis patients requiring frequent AVG declot procedures vs. those who do not. Twenty HD patients were enrolled: 10 frequent clotters (>3 declots in the previous year) and 10 were nonclotters. Patients on antiplatelets or chronic anticoagulation were excluded. Laboratories were drawn pretreatment and heparinase was added to counteract any potential heparin effect. Coagulation protein concentrations including tissue factor (TF), thrombin/antithrombin III complex (TAT), and prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F(1+2)) were assayed. The time to clot onset was measured by force onset time (FOT). Platelet contractile force (PCF) measured the force produced by platelets during clot retraction, whereas clot rigidity was measured as clot elastic modulus (CEM). FOT, CEM, and PCF were measured by Hemodyne. Both groups had upregulation of the TF pathway, as TF, TAT, and F(1+2) levels were similarly increased over baseline levels. Hemodialysis patients with frequent AVG clotting had higher levels of both PCF and CEM compared with nonclotters. Additionally, the frequent clotters had a lower FOT relative to nonclotters, although both were considered in the normal range. Our study suggests that HD patients with recurrent AVG thrombotic events form clots with higher tensile strength compared with HD patients without recurrent graft thrombosis.
Spacecraft-level testing and verification of an X-band phased array

The MESSENGER spacecraft uses an X-band (8.4-GHz) phased array for high-rate downlink communications to meet mission data requirements yet still survive the extreme environment at the planet Mercury. To survive the solar intensity at the planet, the MESSENGER spacecraft uses a sunshade that must remain Sun-pointed; this restricts pointing of the spacecraft. The use of two phased-array antennas alleviates the need for a gimbaled high-gain dish. The RF signal is routed through on-board solid-state power amplifiers that control the phases of the signals fed to the phased arrays, thereby pointing without the need for any moving parts while maintaining a Sun-pointed attitude. Each phased array is composed of eight slotted waveguide sticks. This paper describes a method for a real-time, fast verification of the steering of the phased array during any phase of spacecraft-level testing (including thermal-vacuum) without the need to free radiate, which is specifically critical to a spacecraft during integration and test. This newly developed and implemented approach does not require near-field probing, in-line couplers, or extra flight mates and de-mates. Once the antennas are integrated onto the spacecraft, schedule constraints force the need for very quick verification methods. The technique described herein quickly samples the phase of the signal at each array element and, in conjunction with subsystem-level measurements, mathematically calculates the radiated antenna pattern. The phases within each array element are measured using innovative loop couplers that may simply be removed once testing is complete. These phases are combined using specifically designed software to calculate the far-field radiated pattern to verify pointing.
Finite volume method for radiation heat transfer

This chapter presents a finite-volume (FV) method for computing radiation heat transfer processes. The main ingredients of the calculation procedure were presented by Chai et al. [1]. The resulting method has been tested, refined and extended to account for various geometrical and physical complexities.
Combined Illumination Cylindrical Millimeter-Wave Imaging Technique for Concealed Weapon Detection

A novel millimeter-wave imaging technique has been developed for personnel surveillance applications, including the detection of concealed weapons, explosives, drugs, and other contraband material. Millimeter-waves are high-frequency radio waves in the frequency band of 30 - 300 GHz, and pose no health threat to humans at moderate power levels. These waves readily penetrate common clothing materials, and are reflected by the human body and by concealed items. The combined illumination cylindrical imaging concept consists of a vertical, high-resolution, millimeter-wave array of antennas which is scanned in a cylindrical manner about the person under surveillance. Using a computer, the data from this scan is mathematically reconstructed into a series of focused 3D images of the person. After reconstruction, the images are combined into a single high-resolution 3D image of the person under surveillance. This combined image is then rendered using 3D computer graphics techniques. The combined cylindrical illumination is critical as it allows the display of information from all angles. This is necessary because millimeter-waves do not penetrate the body. Ultimately, the images displayed to the operate will be icon-based to protect the privacy of the person being screened. Novel aspects of this technique include the cylindrical scanning concept and the image reconstruction algorithm, which was developed specifically for this imaging system. An engineering prototype based on this cylindrical imaging technique has been fabricated and tested. This work has been sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Immunomodulation by adenoviral-mediated SCD40-Ig gene therapy for mouse allogeneic islet transplantation.

Background.The success of pancreatic islet transplantation is limited because of immune rejection of allogeneic transplanted tissue and potential adverse side effects of nonspecific immunosuppression. Local expression of an immunosuppressive agent at the site of islet transplant could promote long-t
Kinetic theory of the Alfvén wave acceleration of auroral electrons

[1] Recent observations have indicated that in addition to the classical “inverted-V” type electron acceleration, auroral electrons often have a field-aligned distribution that is broad in energy and sometimes shows time dispersion indicating acceleration at various altitudes up the field line. Such acceleration is not consistent with a purely electrostatic potential drop and suggests a wave heating of auroral electrons. Alfven waves have been observed on auroral field lines carrying sufficient Poynting flux to provide energy for such acceleration. Calculations based on the linear kinetic theory of Alfven waves indicate that Landau damping of these waves can efficiently convert this Poynting flux into field-aligned acceleration of electrons. At high altitudes along auroral field lines that map into the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL), the plasma gradients are relatively weak and the local kinetic theory can describe this wave–particle interaction. At lower altitudes, the gradient in the Alfven speed becomes significant, and a nonlocal description must be used. A nonlocal theory based on a simplified model of the ionospheric Alfven resonator (IAR) is presented. For a given field-aligned current (FAC), the efficiency of the wave–particle interaction increases with the ratio of the thermal velocity of the electrons to the Alfven speed at high altitudes. These calculations indicate that wave acceleration of electrons should occur at and above the altitude where the quasi-static potential drops form.
Carbon-dioxide-rich silicate melt in the Earth's upper mantle

The onset of melting in the Earth's upper mantle influences the thermal evolution of the planet, fluxes of key volatiles to the exosphere, and geochemical and geophysical properties of the mantle. Although carbonatitic melt could be stable 250 km or less beneath mid-oceanic ridges, owing to the small fraction (∼0.03 wt%) its effects on the mantle properties are unclear. Geophysical measurements, however, suggest that melts of greater volume may be present at ∼200 km (refs 3-5) but large melt fractions are thought to be restricted to shallower depths. Here we present experiments on carbonated peridotites over 2-5 GPa that constrain the location and the slope of the onset of silicate melting in the mantle. We find that the pressure-temperature slope of carbonated silicate melting is steeper than the solidus of volatile-free peridotite and that silicate melting of dry peridotite + CO(2) beneath ridges commences at ∼180 km. Accounting for the effect of 50-200 p.p.m. H(2)O on freezing point depression, the onset of silicate melting for a sub-ridge mantle with ∼100 p.p.m. CO(2) becomes as deep as ∼220-300 km. We suggest that, on a global scale, carbonated silicate melt generation at a redox front ∼250-200 km deep, with destabilization of metal and majorite in the upwelling mantle, explains the oceanic low-velocity zone and the electrical conductivity structure of the mantle. In locally oxidized domains, deeper carbonated silicate melt may contribute to the seismic X-discontinuity. Furthermore, our results, along with the electrical conductivity of molten carbonated peridotite and that of the oceanic upper mantle, suggest that mantle at depth is CO(2)-rich but H(2)O-poor. Finally, carbonated silicate melts restrict the stability of carbonatite in the Earth's deep upper mantle, and the inventory of carbon, H(2)O and other highly incompatible elements at ridges becomes controlled by the flux of the former.
Isolation and characterization of an epithelial basement membrane glycoprotein from murine kidney and further characterization of an epithelial basement membrane glycoprotein secreted by murine teratocarcinoma cells in vitro.

A glycoprotein component of epithelial basement membranes (EBM) has been isolated from murine kidney homogenates by extraction with 0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.2, precipitation with (NH4)2SO4 and chromatography on controlled pore glass. Antiserum produced against this glycoprotein reacts specifically with the basement membranes of renal glomeruli and tubules. The EBM glycoprotein of renal origin is antigenically identical with a glycoprotein component of epithelial basement membrane secreted by a murine teratocarcinoma grown in vitro, and the amino acid composition of the two EBM glycoproteins is markedly similar. Both glycoproteins were isolated as high molecular weight aggregates. Disaggregation with sodium dodecyl sulfate and 2-mercaptoethanol resulted in release of monomers of 32 000 and 34 000 daltons for kidney EBM glycoprotein and teratocarcinoma EBM glycoprotein, respectively. The difference in molecular weight is apparently due to increased amounts of fucose, mannose, N-acetylglucosamine and sialic acid in the glycoprotein secreted by the teratocarcinoma. In addition, both EBM glycoproteins contain galactose, glucose and N-acetylgalactosamine.
Simulation of electroanalysis using the boundary integral method

Abstract The boundary integral method (BIM) is one of the most efficient numerical methods for solving boundary-value problems. This methodology is becoming increasingly recognized in analytical chemistry for theoretical characterization of microelectrodes and quantitative electroanalysis. This paper reviews the fundamentals of the BIM and uses several electroanalytical case studies to discuss the advantages, limitations, and implementation difficulties from a practitioner’s viewpoint.
The impact of race on the investigation of excessive force allegations against police

Abstract One response to the recurring crises arising out of police use of force incidents is the establishment of procedures to review allegations of police misconduct. These procedures and their outcomes, however, often become ensnared in controversy themselves. In particular, accusations regarding the impact of race often play a significant role. To ascertain the role of race and other factors in the disposition of complaints against police, this study examines allegations of excessive use of nondeadly force by Chicago police officers. Using models from social psychology, numerous dimensions regarding complaints of police brutality and the investigation of those complaints are tested to determine their impact on complaint disposition. Two variables — evidence and duty status — have widespread significance in these models. The only significant racial effect in any of the models is the interactive variable reflecting the race of the investigator and the race of the complainant. Investigators of both races — African American and Caucasian American — when deciding a case involving a complainant of the other race, were less likely to make a definitive, negative judgment about the complaint than when the complainant was of the same race. The pattern of findings seems to support the hypothesis which states that the social situation of the decision maker may inhibit the impact of stereotypes.
Time and response matching with topographically different responses

Four pigeons were exposed to several nonindependent concurrent variable-interval schedules of reinforcement. One schedule component required a keypecking response; the other component required a treadlepressing response. The birds matched the ratio of their behavior (as measured by responses and time) between the two topographically different responses to the ratio of reinforcement in those two components. When additional foods not contingent on a keypeck or treadle-press were then added, the birds matched time spent in the components to total rates of food delivered in those components; response matching was somewhat disrupted. The matching law, developed under concurrent variable-interval schedules requiring similar responses, can thus account for choice behavior involving topographically different responses.
Adderall for All: A Defense of Pediatric Neuroenhancement

I argue that young patients should be able to access neuroenhancing drugs without a diagnosis of ADHD. The current framework of consent for pediatric patients can be adapted to accommodate neuroenhancement. After a brief overview of pediatric neuroenhancement, I develop three arguments in favor of greater acceptance of neuroenhancement for young patients. First, ADHD is not relevantly different from other disadvantages that could be treated with stimulant medication. Second, establishing a legitimate framework for pediatric neuroenhancement would mitigate the bad effects of diversion and improve research on neuroenhancement and ADHD. Third, some pediatric patients have rights to access neuroenhancements. I then consider several objections to pediatric neuroenhancement. I address concerns about addiction, advertising, authentic development, the parent-child relationship and equal opportunity and conclude that these concerns may inform a framework for prescribing neuroenhancement but they do not justify limits on prescribing.
Storage-bit-rate product in slow-light optical buffers

Performance of slow-light optical buffers in a digital transmission link is simulated. Error rates are calculated for various bit rates and storage (number of bits stored). For a given power penalty, it is shown that storage-bit-rate product is a constant, suggesting an alternative performance metric to the delay-bandwidth product.
Teaching context in information security

This article investigates teaching the application of technical ideas by non-technical means, especially by using puzzles to engage students. After discussing the need to teach students to evaluate contexts in which decisions about computer security must be made, we suggest questions and scenarios drawn from political science, history, as well as other humanities, to force students to apply or derive principles of computer security in unusual and unexpected situations. Our experience shows that students find the process enjoyable, stimulating, and effective.
Therapeutic Effects of Forbisen and of Toluidine Blue on Experimental Typhus.

SummaryTwo compounds, toluidine blue and forbisen, have heen found to possess therapeutic action against murine typhus infections in mice.
A Materials Selection Protocol for Lightweight Actively Cooled Panels

This article provides a materials selection methodology applicable to lightweight actively cooled panels, particularly suitable for the most demanding aerospace applications. The key ingredient is the development of a code that can be used to establish the capabilities and deficiencies of existing panel designs and direct the development of advanced materials. The code is illustrated for a fuel-cooled combustor liner of a hypersonic vehicle, optimized for minimum weight subject to four primary design constraints (on stress, temperatures, and pressure drop). Failure maps are presented for a number of candidate high-temperature metallic alloys and ceramic composites, allowing direct comparison of their thermostructural performance. Results for a Mach 7 vehicle under steady-state flight conditions and stoichiometric fuel combustion reveal that, while C-SiC satisfies the design requirements at minimum weight, the Nb alloy Cb752 and the Ni alloy Inconel X-750 are also viable candidates, albeit at about twice the weight. Under the most severe heat loads (arising from heat spikes in the combustor), only Cb752 remains viable. This result, combined with robustness benefits and fabrication facility, emphasizes the potential of this alloy for scramjets.
Transdermal versus subcutaneous leuprolide: a comparison of acute pharmacodynamic effect.

Transdermal administration of peptides has been limited by the barrier properties of the skin. We compared the acute luteinizing hormone (LH) response to subcutaneous and transdermal administration of an LH-releasing hormone agonist (leuprolide). Eighteen volunteers received 5 mg leuprolide added to electrically powered patches delivering a current of 0.22 μA (transdermally). One week later, they received a 5 mg subcutaneous dose. LH response was measured. The area under the curve for LH response, maximum LH response, and time to maximum LH response were similar. Time to first response was shorter (147 ± 108 minutes [transdermally] and 73 ± 74 minutes [subcutaneously]; p < 0.05), and the area under the curve for the first 150 minutes was greater (3655 ± 2246 mIU · min/ml [transdermally] and 8666 ± 4067 mIU · min/ml [subcutaneously]; p< 0.05) for subcutaneous delivery. No major adverse effects were seen. This electrically powered transdermal technique merits further study. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1990) 48, 340–345; doi:10.1038/clpt.1990.161
Morphological Phase Behavior of Poly(RTIL)-Containing Diblock Copolymer Melts

The development of nanostructured polymeric systems containing directionally continuous poly(ionic liquid) (poly(IL)) domains has considerable implications toward a range of transport-dependent, energy-based technology applications. The controlled, synthetic integration of poly(IL)s into block copolymer (BCP) architectures provides a promising means to this end, based on their inherent ability to self-assemble into a range of defined, periodic morphologies. In this work, we report the melt-state phase behavior of an imidazolium-containing alkyl–ionic BCP system, derived from the sequential ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of imidazolium- and alkyl-substituted norbornene monomer derivatives. A series of 16 BCP samples were synthesized, varying both the relative volume fraction of the poly(norbornene dodecyl ester) block (fDOD = 0.42–0.96) and the overall molecular weights of the block copolymers (Mn values from 5000–20 100 g mol–1). Through a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) ...
The coupled Hudson River estuarine-plume response to variable wind and river forcings

Observations of the Hudson River plume were taken in the spring of 2006 in conjunction with the Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment using mooring arrays, shipboard observations, and satellite data. During this time period, the plume was subjected to a variety of wind, buoyant, and shelf forcings, which yield vastly different responses in plume structure including a downstream recirculating eddy. During weak and downwelling winds, the plume formed a narrow buoyant coastal current that propagated downstream near the internal wave speed. Freshwater transport during periods when the downwelling wind was closely aligned with the coast was near the river discharge values. During periods with a cross-shore component to the wind, freshwater transport in the coastal current estimated by the mooring array is less than the river discharge due to a widening of the plume that leads to the internal Rossby radius scaling for the plume width to be invalid. The offshore detachment of plume and formation of a downstream eddy that is observed surprisingly persisted for 2 weeks under a variety of wind forcing conditions. Comparison between mooring, shipboard, and satellite data reveal the downstream eddy is steady in time. Shipboard transects yield a freshwater content equal to the previous 3 days of river discharge. The feature itself was formed due to a large discharge following a strong onshore wind. The plume was then further modified by a brief upwelling wind and currents influenced by the Hudson Shelf Valley. The duration of the detachment and downstream eddy can be explained using a Wedderburn number which is largely consistent with the wind strength index described by Whitney and Garvine (J Geophys Res 110:C03014 1997).
QUANTITATIVE ASPECTS OF CUTANEOUS SENSORY ADAPTATION. I.

1. Adaptation of tactile receptors in the skin of the frog to excitation by an intermittent jet of air is measured and correlated with certain properties of a series of notched discs used to interrupt the air stream. 2. Adaptation in fifteen cases is found to be described by either one of two empirical formulas, or t = -k log f + C , for nine preparations t = a f -b , for six preparations where f is the per cent frequency at time t and - k and - b are constants defining the rate of adaptation.
The Sentence Stem Technique: An Innovative Interaction Between Counselor and Client

This column is designed to underscore relationally based creative interventions used by counselors and psychotherapists in their practices. Our intention is to provide examples of novel, innovative ways of working with clients in their efforts to deepen self-awareness and their connections with others. Although the interventions within this column will be presented in a linear “how-to” manner, an essential premise of this column is that interventions submitted for publication have a contextual and relational basis. Basic to this column is the therapeutic focus of working through latent hurts and impediments to our clients' health and happiness. Client goals generally involve creating the requisite emotional space needed for genuine relational choice for connection to manifest. If you have created a useful therapy tool, or if you have adapted an existing creative tool that you would like to share with readers, please follow submission guidelines in the author information packet available at http://www.crea...
Water relations of the chinchilla Chinchilla laniger.

Abstract 1. 1. Ad lib . water consumption, water deprivation and intake of NaCl solutions were studied in Chinchilla laniger . 2. 2. When fed laboratory chow, ad lib . consumption averaged 5·96 ± S.D. 3·02 ml/100 g per day. 3. 3. Fluid consumption during 1 week exposures to progressively higher concentrations of NaCl indicated that intake was highest at lower molarities, peaking at 0·2 M, but subsequently decreased to negligible amounts as concentration approached 1·0 M. 4. 4. Weight was maintained on solutions as concentrated as 0·6 M, but even at 1·0 M weight loss was less than when water was withheld. 5. 5. Compared to other rodents, C. laniger appears similar to desert species in its ability to extract useful water from concentrated solutions of NaCl.
Working schemas and normative models in French governance of Islam

In this article, I argue for an approach to studying the governance of religion based on the study of schemas: categories, images, propositions, often deeply psychologically embedded in actors’ minds, that may coexist without necessarily being consistent and that may be weighted differently from one moment to another. I distinguish this approach from one based on explicit national models. I examine the case of France, considering both the radical shifts in policy in the early twentieth century and the continued coexistence of Gallican and associationist schemas to argue for this more disaggregating and historically based explanatory view.
Changes in Body Mass Index in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Treated with Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors

Objective. To evaluate changes in body mass index (BMI) among cohorts of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with and without tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor therapy. Methods. We performed a retrospective chart review of children with JIA who newly initiated TNF inhibitor therapy and had at least 1 year of subsequent followup (TNF cohort). We also included children with JIA and at least 1 year of followup without any TNF inhibitor therapy (comparator cohort). Children with systemic arthritis were excluded. Age and sex specific BMI z-scores and their corresponding categories (normal, overweight, obese) were determined. We compared changes from a baseline visit to the last followup visit using t-test for BMI z-scores and chi square and Kruskal-Wallis tests for BMI categories. Results. The TNF cohort had 167 patients; the comparator cohort had 37. The median study followup was 2.8 and 2.2 years, respectively. The cohorts had similar age, sex, race, weight, and height distributions. The TNF cohort had a statistically significant increase in BMI z-score from baseline (+0.15; p = 0.02) that was not significantly different from the increase (+0.09) observed in the comparator cohort (p = 0.5). There was no significant change in the proportions of overweight and obese children in the TNF cohort compared to baseline (p = 0.6) or compared to the change in the comparator cohort (p = 0.2). Conclusion. Over more than 2 years of followup, we did not observe a significant increase in BMI among children with JIA receiving TNF inhibitor compared to those not receiving it.
Interpretation of photoionization thresholds:quasiequilibrium theory and the fragmentation of benzene

Abstract Quasiequilibrium theory has been applied to the parent ion fragmentation of benzene. Assuming uniform excitation energy transfer in the fragmentation threshold region and applicability of the step-function photoionization threshold law, it is possible to calculate fragment photoionization threshold curves in good agreement with experiment. It is concluded that the unimolecular decomposition occurs via two independent pairs of competing reactions. One pair of reactions leads to the formation of C 6 H 5 + and C 6 H 4 + , and involves the benzene ion ground state. The other pair of reactions, leading to C 4 H 4 + and C 3 H 3 + involves the first excited state of C 6 H 6 + lying 2.25 eV above the ground state, or an open chain isomer having a similar heat of formation. At threshold the C 6 H 5 + ion has a phenyl ion structure, the C 3 H 3 + ion a cyclopropenyl ion structure and the C 4 H 4 + ion may have a cyclobutene ion structure. A heat of formation of ∼100 kcal/mol is derived for the benzyne molecule, in good agreement with semi-empirical estimates. Kinetic shift effects on the fragmentation thresholds are found to be important. Some difficulties are encountered in the comparison of relative abundances of parent ion metastable transitions to the relative abundances of the daughter ions near threshold. The calculated energy dependence of the unimolecular rate of formation of C 4 H 4 + ion is in good agreement with experiment. However, the weak energy dependence of the rate of formation of C 6 H 5 + found experimentally cannot be explained. Suggestions for further work are outlined.
Femoral Neuropathy Due to Patellar Dislocation in a Theatrical and Jazz Dancer: A Case Report

This case report describes a teenage female, high-level modern dancer who suffered multiple left patellar dislocations. Her history is atypical in that after her fifth dislocation, her recovery was hindered secondary to persistent weakness and atrophy of her quadriceps out of proportion to disuse alone. Electrodiagnostic studies and magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of a subacute femoral neuropathy correlating chronologically with her most recent patellar dislocation. This case suggests that further diagnostic study may be warranted in patients with persistent quadriceps weakness or atrophy after a patellar dislocation, because this may suggest the presence of a femoral neuropathy. This is important because the strength training goals and precautions differ in disuse atrophy and a neuropathy. We believe this is the first reported case of a femoral neuropathy associated with the mechanism of a patellar dislocation.
Upper and lower bounds for a pattern bombing problem

This paper includes two simple analytic formulas for kill probability that are applicable in circumstances where shots should be fired in a pattern. The two formulas bracket the maximum kill probability achievable with an optimal pattern. The upper bound corresponds to an optimal nonfeasible pattern, and the lower bound to a nonoptimal feasible pattern.
Sodium channels in central neurons of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens: basic properties and modification by scorpion toxins.

Abstract Voltage-activated sodium channels in central neurons of larval and adult Heliothis virescens were characterized using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Macroscopic currents showing rapid activation and inactivation kinetics were uniformly sensitive to tetrodotoxin ( IC 50 =1.9 nM). Currents began to activate at voltage steps to −45 mV and reached half maximal at −30 mV. Fast inactivation was evident at voltages as negative as −75 mV and reached half maximal at −50 mV. Full recovery from inactivation occurred within 1 to 2 ms. Currents in larval neurons exhibited similar properties to those of adult neurons, except for the rate of fast inactivation ( t 1 ), which was significantly slower in larval neurons. The biophysical properties of sodium channels remained unchanged for up to 3 days in culture. Two insecticidal neurotoxins, LqhαIT and AaIT, produced distinctly different modifications of H. virescens sodium channels. LqhαIT slowed channel inactivation, while AaIT specifically shifted voltage-dependent activation to more negative potentials. Overall, the results indicate that sodium channels in H. virescens neurons exhibit biophysical characteristics similar to those of vertebrates, yet possess pharmacological uniqueness with respect to scorpion toxin modification.
Hematologic changes during sexual maturation. Why do black adolescents have low hemoglobin concentrations

A group of black adolescents stratified by age and sexual maturity (Tanner stage) had electronic blood counts determined. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red cell count were lower than the means reported for white or Hispanic children of the same age. The difference could not be explained by iron deficiency, but the data were insufficient to exclude alpha thalassemia as a cause.