cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of free-standing PbSe micro-rods

We have fabricated epitaxially grown PbSe micro-rods by the fold-back action of the thin film and have investigated the experimental factors affecting the size of the micro-rods. We observe that the initial layer thickness and the etching parameters of the sacrificial layer determined the final diameter of the rods. By individually mounting the rods on copper heat sink, we observe an approximately 100 times increase in photoluminescence (PL) intensity per surface area when compared to the bulk film before rolling into micro-rod. These results offer a promising future of microstructures to the technology of mid-infrared light-emitting devices.
Contour-Based Algorithm for Tracking Cells and Cell-Material Analyses

Cellular tracking has been employed to investigate complex cell-cell and cell-material interactions that play critical roles in tissue development and disease progression. Tracking is often performed manually, however limitations associated with manual tracking make it impractical for tracking dense populations of cells. To address these limitations, several automated tracking algorithms have been developed, buy most of these algorithms are incapable of tracking cells after occlusion events or cell divisions. Here we have developed a custom algorithm in MATLAB that employs a contour-based segmentation approach to identify and track cell divisions and occlusion events. The algorithm further analyzes cell tracks during occlusion events using a cost analysis to detect and relabel mislabeled cells.
Induction of Ethylene as an Indicator of Senescence in the Mode of Action of Diclofop-Methyl

Abstract Diclofop-methyl (DM) is an effective inducer of ethylene in leafy spurge ( Euphorbia esula ), a dicotyledonous weed, and oat ( Avena sativa ), a DM-susceptible monocotyledon. Ethylene was not induced in resistant wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) which metabolizes and detoxifies DM very rapidly. Immature leafy spurge leaves were resistant to DM, whereas mature leaves were highly susceptible with death occurring within 6–7 days following application of 4.5 m M DM, contrary to the premise of the ACCase hypothesis. DM induced significant ethylene production in immature and mature leaves (278 and 616% of control, respectively) within 7 hr after DM application. Metabolism and detoxification of DM did not differ between immature and mature leaves and a putative ACCase was resistant to inhibition by DM in both tissues. The most likely mechanism of action of DM is the induction of accelerated senescence with lipid peroxidation and free radical oxidation as the lethal process. Ethylene production in normal or accelerated (hypersensitive response reaction) senescence appears to be a consequence of lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen (free radical) formation. DM (4.5 m M ) and 2,4-D (2.0, 3.0 and 4.5 m M ) applied separately induced significant production of ethylene in oat (232 and ca. 300% of control, respectively) after 7 hr of treatment. All applied concentrations of 2,4-D, except for 0.75 m M, reversed DM phytotoxicity in oat when applied as combinations. The reversal of DM phytotoxicity by 2,4-D was accompanied by the absence of DM-induced ethylene. Therefore, 2,4-D appears to reverse DM phytotoxicity by preventing lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen formation as indicated by the absence of DM-induced ethylene. When DM phytotoxicity was not reversed (4.5 m M DM plus 0.75 m M 2,4-D) ethylene production in oat was approximately equal to the sum of ethylene induced by DM and 2,4-D applied separately. Therefore, induction of accelerated senescence appears to be a major mechanism of lethality by DM that is correlated to its action on the membrane to initiate a series of multiple responses.
Projection methods for solving aggregate growth models

Abstract We describe a general numerical approach, the projection method, to solve operator equations which arise in economic models. Principles from numerical analysis are then used to develop efficient implementations of the projection method for solving aggregate growth models. Since any numerical approach will involve error, we derive error measures which are related to optimization errors by agents and argue that the numerical approximations can be viewed as equilibria with boundedly rational agents. The results are programs which run hundreds of times faster than competing methods in the literature while achieving high accuracy.
An Achilles' Heel in an Amyloidogenic Protein and Its Repair: INSULIN FIBRILLATION AND THERAPEUTIC DESIGN*

Insulin fibrillation provides a model for a broad class of amyloidogenic diseases. Conformational distortion of the native monomer leads to aggregation-coupled misfolding. Whereas β-cells are protected from proteotoxicity by hexamer assembly, fibrillation limits the storage and use of insulin at elevated temperatures. Here, we have investigated conformational distortions of an engineered insulin monomer in relation to the structure of an insulin fibril. Anomalous 13C NMR chemical shifts and rapid 15N-detected 1H-2H amide-proton exchange were observed in one of the three classical α-helices (residues A1–A8) of the hormone, suggesting a conformational equilibrium between locally folded and unfolded A-chain segments. Whereas hexamer assembly resolves these anomalies in accordance with its protective role, solid-state 13C NMR studies suggest that the A-chain segment participates in a fibril-specific β-sheet. Accordingly, we investigated whether helicogenic substitutions in the A1–A8 segment might delay fibrillation. Simultaneous substitution of three β-branched residues (IleA2 → Leu, ValA3 → Leu, and ThrA8 → His) yielded an analog with reduced thermodynamic stability but marked resistance to fibrillation. Whereas amide-proton exchange in the A1–A8 segment remained rapid, 13Cα chemical shifts exhibited a more helical pattern. This analog is essentially without activity, however, as IleA2 and ValA3 define conserved receptor contacts. To obtain active analogs, substitutions were restricted to A8. These analogs exhibit high receptor-binding affinity; representative potency in a rodent model of diabetes mellitus was similar to wild-type insulin. Although 13Cα chemical shifts remain anomalous, significant protection from fibrillation is retained. Together, our studies define an “Achilles' heel” in a globular protein whose repair may enhance the stability of pharmaceutical formulations and broaden their therapeutic deployment in the developing world.
How soon is now? The effects of the IMF on economic reforms in Latin America

This study assesses the effects of IMF loans on economic liberalization in Latin America. Specifically, we are interested in whether the Fund receives greater cooperation from Latin American borrowers in the initiation of some economic reforms over others. Using a two-stage treatment effects model as well as panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) regression for 15 Latin American countries from 1980 to 2003, we find that IMF participation tends to lead to greater trade and capital reforms and less reform in privatization. These relationships are tempered by the country’s relationship with the United States along with domestic group pressures.
Fretting of WC/a-C:H and Cr2N Coatings Under Grease-Lubricated and Unlubricated Conditions

The fretting phenomenon was investigated experimentally in contacts between coated and uncoated steel rod and ball specimens generating a circular Hertzian contact. A fretting wear test rig equipped with a video camera was used to observe the effects of fretting on coated steel surfaces in both grease-lubricated and unlubricated environments. Tungsten carbide reinforced amorphous hydrocarbon (WC/a-C:H) and chromium nitride (Cr2N) coatings were tested and compared. Fretting wear volumes and surface profiles are presented for both grease-lubricated and unlubricated conditions. Videos of a coated ball fretting against a transparent sapphire flat were recorded and screen captures are presented. The role of normal load, lubrication, frequency, and amplitude of motion on the fretting wear of coatings is discussed. The lubricant released from the grease was observed to flow through channels in the stick zone of the fretting contacts. Both coatings were found to reduce fretting wear. WC/a-C:H was more effective a...
Race and Renal Impairment in Heart Failure Mortality in Blacks Versus Whites

Background— Renal impairment is an emerging prognostic indicator in heart failure (HF) patients. Despite known racial differences in the progression of both HF and renal disease, it is unclear whether the prognosis for renal impairment in HF patients differs by race. We sought to determine in HF patients the 1-year mortality risks associated with elevated creatinine and impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to quantify racial differences in mortality. Methods and Results— We retrospectively evaluated the National Heart Care Project nationally representative cohort of 53 640 Medicare patients hospitalized with HF. Among 5669 black patients, mean creatinine was 1.6±0.9 mg/dL, and 54% had an eGFR ≤60, compared with creatinine 1.5±0.7 mg/dL and 68% eGFR ≤60 in 47 971 white patients. Higher creatinine predicted increased mortality risk, although the magnitude of risk differed by race (interaction P =0.0001). Every increase in creatinine of 0.5 mg/dL was associated with a >10% increased risk in adjusted mortality for blacks, compared with >15% increased risk in whites (interaction P =0.0001), with the most striking racial disparities at the highest levels of renal impairment. Depressed eGFR showed similar racial differences (interaction P =0.0001). Conclusions— Impaired renal function predicts increased mortality in elderly HF patients, although risks are more pronounced in whites. Distinct morbidity and mortality burdens in black versus white patients underscore the importance of improving patient risk-stratification, defining optimal therapies, and exploring physiological underpinnings of racial differences. Received October 1, 2004; revision received January 24, 2005; accepted January 26, 2005.
Hypercalcitoninemia associated with return of serum calcium concentration toward normal in chronically parathyroidectomized rats.

In chronically parathyroidectomized male Fischer and Holtzman rats, we found a progressive rise in the levels of serum immunoreactive calcitonin (CT) despite hypocalcemia. The rise was preceded by an increase in the thyroidal CT concentration (determined by RIA) and hyperplasia of C cells (determined by the immunoperoxidase bridge technique). In association with the rise in serum CT, we elso observed a return of serum Ca toward normal levels, which the evidence suggests was not due to compensatory regeneration of parathyroid remnants after incomplete parathyroidectomy. It also is unlikely that ectopic parathyroid tissue was responsible for the return of serum Ca toward normal. Since the increase in serum CT after parathyroidectomy coincided with the return of serum Ca toward normal, we postulate that a gradual rise in serum Ca in chronically parathyroidectomized rats might stimulate the “CT-saturated” thyroid glands to release CT, thus leading to a progressive increase in serum CT. Alternatively, it is po...
Do editors or articles drive collaboration?: multilevel statistical network analysis of wikipedia coauthorship

Prior scholarship on Wikipedia's collaboration processes has examined the properties of either editors or articles, but not the interactions between both. We analyze the coauthorship network of Wikipedia articles about breaking news demanding intense coordination and compare the properties of these articles and the editors who contribute to them to articles about contemporary and historical events. Using p*/ERGM methods to test a multi-level, multi-theoretical model, we identify how editors' attributes and editing patterns interact with articles' attributes and authorship history. Editors' attributes like prior experience have a stronger influence on collaboration patterns, but article attributes also play significant roles. Finally, we discuss the implications our findings and methods have for understanding the socio-material duality of collective intelligence systems beyond Wikipedia.
Enabling ammonia-borane: co-oligomerizaiton of ammonia-borane and amine-boranes yield liquid products

In contrast to neat ammonia-borane (AB), the thermal decomposition of AB with N-substituted amine-boranes yields a liquid product after extended heating and H2 release. NMR and GPC data indicate that co-oligomerization has occurred. These results show promise for developing high energy density AB-based fuel formulations for automotive applications.
One-Year Cost Implications of Using Mental Health Care After Discharge From a General Medical Hospitalization

Objective:The purpose of this study was to direct attention to mental health issues that may occur around discharge of patients hospitalized for general medical issues. This study provides a methodology and tested whether postdischarge mental health care moderates the effect of the length of the medical inpatient stay on costs one year later. Methods:Veterans Health Administration administrative data were drawn from four time periods: one year before admission, an inpatient stay, 30 days postdischarge, and the year after discharge. The cohort included 21,716 patients actively engaged in primary care with and without reliably established mental health diagnoses and who were hospitalized for a general medical issue but had no inpatient utilization in the prior year. Generalized linear models were estimated to determine the impact of administrative measures on postdischarge costs. Results:Postdischarge mental health care in the 30 days after discharge was found to interact with length of stay, as hypothesize...
Bile Salt Transport after Selective Damage to Acinar Zone 3 Hepatocytes by Bromobenzene in the Rat

To quantitate the contribution of acinar zone 3 hepatocytes (centrilobular cells) to the transport of physiological concentrations of taurocholate, selective acinar zone 3 cell damage was induced in female rats by the administration of bromobenzene. Forty-eight hours later, livers were perfused in situ. Oxygen consumption, gluconeogenesis, transport of [14C]taurocholate into bile, bile flow and capacity for removal of indocyanine green were assessed. The removal of single doses of [14C]taurocholate injected into the portal vein at loads of 0.025 and 0.11 μmol/kg was then measured. Bromobenzene-treated livers removed 80–85% of the injected dose while control livers removed about 98%. The percentage of the injected dose removed by each group at each load of taurocholate remained fairly constant. In separate experiments, [14C]taurocholate was administered in successive single injections at loads between 0.20 and 75 μmol/kg. The percentage of the injected dose removed remained constant and was similar to that observed at lower loads of taurocholate until a dose of 1.0 μmol/kg was used. At higher loads, the percentage of the injected dose removed decreased progressively, suggesting that the uptake process was reaching saturation. These results showed that acinar zone 3 hepatocytes contributed to the removal of 13–18% of a physiological load of taurocholate. Furthermore, a 50% decrease in bile flow was observed after bromobenzene administration. This suggested that damage to the centrilobular area is followed by alterations in bile flow and by the passage of at least 13–18% of the bile salts reaching the acinus into the general circulation. In addition, taurocholate removal after carbon tetrachloride-induced damage to the centrilobular area was studied. Twelve to eighteen percent of the injected dose of [14C]taurocholate was found in the hepatic vein effluent, values similar to the results obtained after bromobenzene-induced damage.
Increasing business-to-business buyer word-of-mouth and share-of-purchase

Purpose – This study aims to examine the satisfaction-loyalty framework on word-of-mouth communications (WOMC) and share-of-purchases in situations where business-to-business (b-t-b) buyers have a relationship with both the salesperson and the selling firm. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses an online panel to examine respondents with b-t-b purchasing authority for their given firm. Lisrel 8.52 was used to examine the proposed structural model. Findings – This study finds that satisfaction, loyalty and WOMC with regards to the salesperson directly impacts satisfaction, loyalty and WOMC with the selling firm, respectively. Also, the study finds that certain levels of buyer satisfaction and loyalty impact post purchase behavior and spending. Research limitations/implications – Several contributions emerge from the proposed model to advance relationships within b-t-b markets by examining methods in which salespeople can directly influence their company’s financial outcome in the form of increased ...
Long‐Term Oral Administration of Probucol [4, 4‘‐(Isopropylidenedithio) bis (2, 6‐di‐t‐Butylphenol)] (DH‐581) in the Management of Hypercholesterolemia*

: Fifty patients who received a new hypocholesterolemic agent, probucol, in a dosage of 0.5 gm twice daily, were studied for one year. Mean pretreatment serum cholesterol and triglyceride values were 329 mg/100 ml and 360 mg/100 ml respectively. Baseline lipoprotein electrophoreses showed 17 Fredrickson phenotypic patterns of type 2, 6 of type 3, 10 of type 4, 3 of type 5, and 14 non-definitive patterns. After twelve months of treatment with probucol, the mean serum cholesterol level was 263 mg/100 ml (a minus 20 per cent change) and the mean triglyceride level was 293 mg/100 ml (a minus 19 per cent change) for all patients. The median baseline cholesterol level was 311 mg/100 ml and the median cholesterol value during twelve months of therapy was 252 mg/100 ml, a reduction of 19 per cent. The median baseline triglyceride level was 174 mg/100 ml and the median triglyceride value during twelve months of therapy was 147 mg/100 ml, a reduction of 16 per cent. Significant changes were noted in the serum lipoprotein patterns; the majority of type 2 and type 3 changed to the non-definitive pattern, but the majority of type 4 and type 5 remained unchanged. Seven patients had xanthelasmas, but all these lesions decreased in size and 3 lesions disappeared during probucol therapy. Side effects were minimal. About a third of the patients had mild transient flatulence or slight transient eosinophilia. There was no effect on prothrombin time. Probucol appears to be a safe and effective hypolipidemic agent. It can also induce changes in serum lipoprotein patterns and markedly reduce the size of xanthelasmas.
Alternative medicines toxicology: a review of selected agents.

In the past decade there has been a dramatic increase in the use of alternative medicines.1-5 As a result of the Food and Drug Administration's inability to regulate these new therapeutic agents, m...
Honors Anthropology and the Four Rs

This article is a precis of an honors introductory cultural anthropology course taught for the first time in the spring of 1987 at California State University, Chico. Sixteen superior students in that course helped me refine my methods for teaching it. While standard introductory cultural anthropology at Chico is designed to familiarize students with the basic premises of our discipline and provide exposure to several cultural systems, the honors course goes beyond this and includes a substantial writing component and strategies to assist students in development of their critical thinking skills. It also helps students learn something about the theoretical bases of the discipline and, where practical, provides opportunities to do some analysis. In order to meet the goals of the honors curriculum, as well as my own personal goals of teaching, the crux of my honors course is what I call the four Rs: recruitment, relevance, reinforcement, and responsibility. They provide a structure for both teaching and learning. While not mutually exclusive, I will discuss them in order. In practice, however, reinforcement, relevance, and responsibility are so intertwined that it is sometimes impossible to untangle them. Recruitment
Access, Record, and Competition as Influences on Interest Group Contributions to Congressional Campaigns

Interviews with representatives of business and labor interest groups led to hypotheses concerning the relative emphasis placed on securing (or maintaining) access to decision makers, candidates' records, and levels of competition in decisions to make monetary contributions to congressional campaigns. These hypotheses were tested with campaign finance data, resulting in identification of differential strategies followed by business and labor respectively. New hypotheses were derived from efforts to generalize findings to groups similarly advantaged or disadvantaged by political and social processes.
Elastic string in a random medium

We consider a one-dimensional elastic string as a set of massless beads interacting through springs characterized by anisotropic elastic constants. The string, driven by an external force, moves in a medium with quenched disorder. We find that longitudinal fluctuations lead to nonlinear behavior in the equation of motion that is kinematically generated by the motion of the string. The strength of the nonlinear effects depends on the anisotropy of the medium and the distance from the depinning transition. On the other hand, the consideration of restricted solid-on-solid conditions imposed on the string leads to a nonlinear term with a diverging coefficient at the depinning transition.
Influences on the Distribution of Landholdings in Early Colonial North Carolina

The economy of North Carolina in the early colonial period was agrarian. Land was a central element in the wealth stock and it was distributed unevenly among households. This paper analyzes the distribution of land by means of multiple regression models employing measures of the principal life events of households. This paper analyzes the distribution of land by means of multiple regression models employing measures of the principal life events of households. The data are drawn from an eastern community, Perquimans County, and refer to the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century.
MURRA EN LA SELVA DE PAJA

La ultima vez que vi a John Murra, en julio de 2006, estaba colgada frente a su cama una inmensa ampliation de una foto tomada en 1940 o 1941, en los pajonales de la sierra ecuatoriana. La amplia cion fue regalo de su primer estudiante andinista estadounidense, Heather Lechtman, hoy profesora en el Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Esta imagen capto un primer momento de la vida andi nista de Murra. En la foto, el joven Murra descansa montado en caballo, con las manos metidas en los bolsillos de una chaqueta de cuero. Estan a su lado dos colegas1 y dos campesinos. La mirada de sus ojos negros expresa una atencion fascinada, como si fuera el instante de observar por primera vez algo singular. En su vejez el Dr. Murra solfa mirar fijamente esta imagen. Durante minutos, posaba mentalmente dentro del remoto espacio de la foto. Cuando su atencion volvfa a los visitantes, preguntaba casi con ternura, <;,que les paso despues a esos senores mis companeros de viaje? Esta fase temprana y truncada de su carrera siguio siendo fuente sub yacente de su inspiration mientras se desarrollaba como etnohistoriador. Este es el tema que quisiera subrayar en los parrafos que siguen. En el quichua ecuatoriano el paramo alto, ventoso, frfo, al parecer infinito, se llama ujsha sacha, o sea 'selva de paja'. Estos terrenos fueron los margenes mas remotos y amotinados de los dominios inkas. En el Ecuador los monumentos inkas son pocos y el dano que las guerras nortenas hicieron al Tawantinsuyu fue grave. Los pueblos de la 'selva de paja' contribuyeron directamente a la cai'da de los cusquenos en 1532-1535. Es de importancia el hecho de que Murra llego a conocer el imperio Inka no por los portales de la ciudad sagrada del Cusco, sino atravesando estas tierras aguerridas y perifericas. La excursion de Murra a la 'selva de paja' comenzo cuando ley6 una nota en el tablero de anuncios diciendo que el Dr. Donald Collier del Field Museum buscaba un ayudante para el sitio ecuatoriano de Cerro Narri'o, cerca de la frontera peruana. El joven Murra era en ese momento estu diante de postgrado en la Universidad de Chicago. Sus inquietudes se centraban en Africa, inspiradas por la docencia reveladora de A. R. Radcliffe-Brown. Tambien le interesaban las tribus norteamericanas, cuya etnohistoria comenzaba a palpar estudiando las relaciones jesufticas del imperio frances. No se interesaba en Suramerica ni sabfa mucho de su
Potential for Hepatitis C Virus Resistance to Nitazoxanide or Tizoxanide

Nitazoxanide and its primary metabolite, tizoxanide, inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in HCV replicon systems. To study the potential for resistance, we subjected Huh7 cells harboring HCV replicons to serial passage in 250 muM G418 and increasing concentrations of nitazoxanide or tizoxanide. Passage of the replicon-containing cell lines in either compound resulted in increases in the 50% effective concentrations (EC(50)s) (7- to 13-fold), EC(90)s (14- to 36-fold), and 50% cytotoxic concentrations (2- to 4-fold) of both compounds. Serial passage in either compound did not alter the susceptibility of HCV replicons to ribavirin or 2'-C-methylcytidine. Interestingly, serial passage in nitazoxanide or tizoxanide resulted in increased sensitivity to alpha interferon 2b: EC(50)s and EC(90)s were reduced three- and eightfold, respectively. Replicons isolated from these cell lines had no greater ability to confer tizoxanide resistance, or increased susceptibility to alpha interferon, than replicons isolated from the parental cell line that had not previously been exposed to nitazoxanide or tizoxanide. These findings are indicative of a cell-mediated activity differing from that of other anti-HCV drugs but complementary with interferon and are consistent with the enhanced response rates observed clinically when nitazoxanide is combined with pegylated interferon therapy. Finally, unlike data for other compounds in advanced clinical development for HCV, these data are consistent with resistance in HCV replicon-containing cell lines conferred by changes in the host and not by mutations in the virus.
Thermal convection with non-Newtonian plates

SUMMARY The coupling between plate motions and mantle convection is investigated using a fully dynamic numerical model consisting of a thin non-Newtonian layer which is dynamically coupled to a thick Newtonian viscous layer. The non-Newtonian layer has a simple power-law rheology characterized by power-law index n and stiffness constant pp. A systematic investigation of steady, single cell configurations demonstrates that under certain conditions (n > 7 being one of them) the nonNewtonian layer behaves like a mobile tectonic plate. Time-dependent calculations with multicellular configurations show the ability of the plate-mantle coupling model to adjust the number of plates and their sizes in accordance with the flow in the Newtonian layer. These calculations show that the geometry and number of plates do not necessarily resemble the planform of convection below.
Full-thickness burns across joints: results of coverage with acellular dermal matrix and thin autograft

The use of acellular dermal matrix and thin autograft to graft full-thickness burns over elbow and knee joints is evaluated. The percent of graft adherence, joint range of motion, and scar quality, as evaluated by the Vancouver scale, was noted for ten joints in eight patients following grafting. Graft adherence ranged from 75–100% at 7 days postoperatively. All patients maintained full elbow range of motion at long-term follow-up (average 4 months). Vancouver scales ranged from 3–4.5 as opposed to 4.5–8 for adjacent areas of conventional split-thickness skin grafts, the lower scores more closely approximating normal skin. Complete healing was demonstrated with maintenance of full range of motion and acceptable scar quality. The use of thinner split-thickness skin grafts would be expected to reduce donor-site morbidity, and the ability to re-harvest donor sites may be enhanced in patients with large surface area burns. Further follow-up of these patients is needed to evaluate the need for future reconstructive procedures.
The 'Confederate' Blockade of the South

We show that Southern trade and the Southern economy were primarily harmed by the Confederate government’s economic and military policies. The Union blockade fleet and coastal bases were a necessary condition, but it was the policies of the Confederate government that made the closure of international trade and the destruction of the Southern economy possible. These misguided policies, more than any other factor, explain the unusual and unexpected effectiveness of the blockade in reducing trade and, ultimately in the defeat of the Confederacy, a result we label the “Confederate blockade of the South.”
Navigating murky waters: a modern treatment algorithm for nipple discharge.

Abstract Background Many women with nipple discharge undergo operative duct excision with few actually having carcinoma. Methods We reviewed all patients with nipple discharge at our institution from 2001 to 2005. Clinical findings were analyzed to determine an appropriate treatment algorithm. Results Nipple discharge was present in 204 patients. Carcinoma was identified in 7 patients (3% of all, 9% of those undergoing biopsy). Age ≥50 years, abnormal mammography, and abnormal sonography were the only significant predictors of carcinoma. Among patients with unilateral, spontaneous, bloody, or serous discharge with a negative mammogram, the carcinoma risk was 3%. Among patients with unilateral, spontaneous, bloody, or serous discharge with a negative mammogram and subareolar ultrasound, the carcinoma risk was 0%. Conclusions Patients with nipple discharge can be divided into risk groups by combining clinical and radiologic findings. Low-risk patients can be offered close clinical follow-up rather than operation. A recommended management algorithm is presented.
Physical stability of micronized powders produced by spray-freezing into liquid (SFL) to enhance the dissolution of an insoluble drug.

Purpose. The objective of this study was to investigate the physical stability of micronized powders produced by the spray-freezing into liquid (SFL) particle engineering technology. Materials and Methods. Danazol was formulated with polyvinyl alcohol (MW 22,000), poloxamer 407, and polyvinylpyrrolidone K-15 to form a cosolvent solution that was SFL processed. The dried micronized SFL powders were sealed in glass vials with desiccant and exposed to 25°C/60% RH for 3 and 6 mo, 40°C/75% RH for 1, 2, 3, and 6 mo, and conditions where the temperature was cycled between −5 and +40°C (6 cycles/24 hr) with constant 75% RH for 1, 2, 3 and 4 wk. The samples were characterized by using Karl–Fisher titration, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, specific surface area, scanning electron microscopy, and dissolution testing. Results. Micronized SFL powders consisting of porous aggregates with small-particle domains were characterized as having high surface areas and consisted of amorphous danazol embed...
Mentoring junior URM scientists to engage in sleep health disparities research: experience of the NYU PRIDE Institute

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded PRIDE Institute in Behavioral Medicine and Sleep Disorders Research at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center. The NYU PRIDE Institute provides intensive didactic and mentored research training to junior underrepresented minority (URM) faculty. Method The Kirkpatrick model, a mixed-methods program evaluation tool, was used to gather data on participant's satisfaction and program outcomes. Quantitative evaluation data were obtained from all 29 mentees using the PRIDE REDcap-based evaluation tool. In addition, in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with 17 mentees to learn about their experiences at the institute and their professional development activities. Quantitative data were examined, and emerging themes from in-depth interviews and focus groups were studied for patterns of connection and grouped into broader categories based on grounded theory. Results Overall, mentees rated all programmatic and mentoring aspects of the NYU PRIDE Institute very highly (80–100%). They identified the following areas as critical to their development: research and professional skills, mentorship, structured support and accountability, peer support, and continuous career development beyond the summer institute. Indicators of academic self-efficacy showed substantial improvement over time. Areas for improvement included tailoring programmatic activities to individual needs, greater assistance with publications, and identifying local mentors when K awards are sought. Conclusions In order to promote career development, numerous factors that uniquely influence URM investigators' ability to succeed should be addressed. The NYU PRIDE Institute, which provides exposure to a well-resourced academic environment, leadership, didactic skills building, and intensive individualized mentorship proved successful in enabling URM mentees to excel in the academic environment. Overall, the institute accomplished its goals: to build an infrastructure enabling junior URM faculty to network with one another as well as with senior investigators, serving as a role model, in a supportive academic environment.
Safe Drinking Water in Kuna Yala: Field Notes from Panama

Starting in early 2003, Michael Halperin worked for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the indigenous Kuna island community of Ustupu, just off the Northeastern coast of Panama. His workfocusedontheissueofpotablewateranddiarrhealdisease. Thesefieldnotesfocusonthe implementation of sustainable technologies and practices for clean water. Emphasized is the importance of local knowledge, partnerships, and indigenous leadership. This story chronicles a two-year process of considering, rejecting, and finally developing the most workable solution for safe water: solar water purification. Unlike boiling and chlorination, this method was acceptable to the Kuna because it does not conflict with cultural practices on the island. It is likely that this method of water purification can be sustained over time.
Freedom, Freedom of Contract, and the 'Rise and Fall'

This article (1) examines the relationship between the ideas of "freedom" and "freedom of contract" and (2) questions the view that United States society has suffered a general reduction in these two principles over the last century or so. The article surveys some of the philosophical literature on "freedom" and concludes that there are a number of important disagreements as to what "freedom" means. Similarly, definitional problems can cloud the meaning of "freedom of contract." These conceptual and definitional issues make a direct association between freedom and freedom of contract problematic. More freedom of contract does not necessarily mean more freedom. The last part of the article examines cases from the 1880s in which contracts were challenged on public policy grounds. The article concludes that these cases do not support the view that we have seen a general reduction in freedom, or even freedom of contract, since the "Golden Age of Contract" in the latter years of the 19th century.
General Mills' Acquisition of Pillsbury from Diageo Plc

In December 2000, the shareholders of General Mills were presented with a merger prospectus and proxy statement that outlined the terms by which General Mills would acquire Pillsbury from Diageo plc. Payment was composed of shares of General Mills stock, assumption of Pillsbury debt, and an unusual contingent payment. The task for the student is to assess and value the contingent payment in an effort to judge the attractiveness of the proposal and to recommend how shareholders should vote on the proposal. The contingent payment resembles a contingent value right (CVR), which provides downside protection to the sellers in an acquisition. CVRs can be modeled as two options: (1) a long put struck at a low stock price and (2) a short call struck at a higher stock price. The combination of a CVR with the underlying stock of the buyer transforms the payment to the seller from floating stock to a fixed collar. Student analysis can decompose the contingent payment into its two basic options and value the whole instrument. The teaching objectives of this case are: (1) to exercise student skills at identifying and valuing options, (2) to illustrate how the use of contingent payments can bridge differing views about the value of a target firm, and (3) to suggest the important role of synergy expectations in the evaluation of payment terms.
Using Performance Task Data to Improve Instruction

AbstractTwo well-accepted ideas among educators are (a) performance assessment is an effective means of assessing higher-order thinking skills and (b) data-driven instruction planning is a valuable tool for optimizing student learning. This article describes a locally developed performance task (LDPT) designed to measure critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication skills of elementary and middle school students in a large school district. An investigation was conducted to determine how middle school teachers use LDPT responses to inform instruction and to ascertain how students are reflecting on their performance. Results from an analysis of documents indicated teachers were engaged in formal data-informed practices within professional learning communities. Moreover, educators examined student work samples and planned instruction based on student-specific needs. Strategies to reinforce proficiency in the skills assessed by the district's LDPT are reported.
Historical Forest Conditions within the Range of the Pacific Fisher and Spotted Owl in the Central and Southern Sierra Nevada, California, USA

ABSTRACT: There is significant debate about restoration targets for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed-conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. On one side are recommendations to create both extensive open and park-like pine forests, and to reduce high-severity fire occurrence by mechanical thinning of forests. These recommendations drive current management. On the other side are recommendations to manage landscapes for both dense, old forest, and complex early-seral forest that is created by both high-severity and moderate-severity fires characteristic of historical fire regimes. Our research suggests that the latter approach may best maintain forest associated with two imperiled species that are top management concerns of federal agencies in the Sierra Nevada: the California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) and the Pacific Fisher (Pekania pennanti). We used spatially extensive US Forest Service forest survey data from 1910 and 1911, and synthesized research from other ...
The Presidential Pocket Veto: Its Use and Legality

The general constitutional authority of the President to veto legislation passed by Congress has recently received renewed scholarly attention. However, few studies have focused on the pocket veto—the power to negate proposed laws sent for approval without the possibility of reconsideration—and its ramifications for presidential effectiveness. This research comprehensively investigates the creation, development, and employment of the pocket veto. First, this article will trace the history of this form of executive prerogative from colonial times through its establishment in the Constitution. Second, it will review the use of the pocket veto in the nineteenth century. Third, it will undertake a seminal empirical probe of influences on public-bill pocket-veto frequency from 1889 to 1989. Fourth, I will delineate congressional and court challenges to the use of this executive device. In the final section, I will assess the consequences of heightened consternation over pocket-veto use.
Teaching Research Concepts in a Medical Technology Curriculum

In the Research Concepts course in our medical technology curriculum, senior students learned to search the literature, write a review paper, write procedures suitable for a laboratory manual, and draw appropriate conclusions from method evaluation data. Course objectives were achieved through a combination of class meetings and assignments. Classes presenting explanatory material were held before each written assignment was due. Student evaluations indicated that they felt adequately prepared to conduct and write a literature review, write a laboratory procedure, and draw correct conclusions from method evaluation data.
A Political Scientist Looks at Military Government in the European Theater of Operations.

The political scientist found various aspects of World War II of professional interest. Perhaps there were no fields as intimately related to political science as radar and atomic energy in the case of the physical sciences, though such agencies as the War Production Board, the Office of Price Administration, and the Office of Civilian Defense presented many problems of vital concern. Of the strictly military programs, it is probable that none involved so many aspects of political science as military government. Military government programs of some elaborateness were drafted for North Africa, Sicily and Italy, the Pacific Islands, Japan, Korea, and Germany and the countries which had been occupied by Germany. The military government activities in the European Theater of Operations surpassed all others in scope in that they involved both combat and post-hostility operations of great magnitude, necessitated dealings with both conquered and liberated peoples, required the establishment of a system of government from the bottom up through the state level in Germany, and were participated in by all four of the major Allied Powers. The European Theater of Operations also saw the widest use of officers who had been assigned on the basis of their specialist knowledge of various aspects of military-government activities. It may therefore be of some interest to the political science profession to comment on the general record of military government in the ETO. Considering the comparatively minor r6le of military government in previous conflicts in which the United States has been engaged and the difficulty experienced by certain agencies in get-
A comparison of the vending environment among three rural subtypes of secondary schools.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to further explore the rural school food environment. This study assessed trends in prevalence of vending machines and vending items within and between Minnesota schools located in 3 rural subtypes: town/rural fringe, town/rural distant, and remote rural. Generalized estimating equation models were employed to analyze data from the 2006 through 2012 School Health Profiles Principal’s Surveys (Profiles). All 3 rural subtypes had a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of low nutrient energy dense (LNED) vending items between 2006 and 2012, with the exception of sports drinks. However, different vending practices were observed between rural subtypes, with town/rural fringe schools providing more LNED vending options and experiencing less positive change over time compared to town/rural distant and remote rural schools. Differences in vending machine practices emerge when rural schools are subtyped.
Endotoxin-induced hypertriglyceridemia is mediated by suppression of lipoprotein lipase at a post-transcriptional level.

Previous studies have demonstrated that endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide treatment causes a decrease in adipose tissue and heart lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activities in rats, producing hypertriglyceridemia in these animals. To examine the mechanisms for this effect of endotoxin, we studied the effects of endotoxin administration on LPL mRNA, and LPL synthetic rates and activity in rat adipose tissue and heart. Endotoxin treatment (i.p., 3 mg/100 g body weight or higher doses) produced a pronounced increase in serum triglycerides associated with a 65% decrease in adipose tissue and heart LPL activities within 7 h. Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC), used to separate lipoproteins in rat serum, showed that the increase in triglyceride was all in the very low density lipoprotein fraction which was accompanied by a concomitant decrease in high density lipoprotein. In contrast, there was no change in adipose tissue or heart LPL mRNA up to 24 h after treatment and no change in adipose tissue LPL synthetic rate, as measured by L-[35S]methionine incorporation and immunoprecipitation. Plasma insulin levels remained unchanged. The results indicate that endotoxin-induced hypertriglyceridemia in rats can be attributed to an impaired triglyceride clearance associated with a decrease of LPL activity mediated at a post-transcriptional level.
Bilinear Adaptive Feedforward Control and Its Application

An adaptive feed forward control algorithm for bilinear systems with measurable and bounded disturbances and the proof of its stability are given in this paper. It can eliminate the effect of measurable disturbances and ensures that the system variables are bounded and the generalized tracking error is small, even for some nonminimum phase systems. Simulation studies show that the algorithm is well suited for the pH neutralization control, and can give superior control per formance compared with other adaptive control algorithms.
A study on the parameter-selection method of booster charge

Parameter selection method of booster charge is investigated in the paper. According to different stages of research and interface reliability requirements, three parameter optimization procedures are put forward, i.e reliability design, reliability verification and reliability assessment. The analysis taking booster charge design of columnar explosive device as the example shows that parameter selection method of booster charge is feasible.
[Isolation and molecular characterization on Abbey Lake Orthobunyavirus (Bunyaviridae) in Xinjiang, China].

Objective To monitor and discover medically important mosquito-borne viruses circulating in Xinjiang,China.Methods Mosquitoes were collected from Abbey Lake wetland in Bortala,in Northern Xinjiang.Viral isolates were obtained through innoculating and serial passaging into susceptible mammalian host cells (BHK-21),identified by cytopathogenic effect (CPE) observation and plague forming assay.Genetic identification of viral isolates was conducted by RT-PCR,sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.Results A virus strain which causing CPE on BHK-21 cells,was isolated from the predominant Culex modestus (36.6％) and tentatively designated as Abbey Lake virus.Information on molecular identification revealed that Abbey Lake virus belonged to Orthobunyavirus genus within Bunyaviridae.Partial sequences (651 bp and 980 bp) of viral genomic S and M segment showed that Abbey Lake virus was phylogenetically related to Germiston virus that uniquely found in South Africa with 90.6％ nucleotides and 95.0％ amino acids similarities in S segment.However,viral M segment displayed much variability with 78.6％ nucleotides and 86.1％ amino acid similarities,suggesting a new member of Orthobunyavirus genus was discovered in the area.Conclusion In this study,Abbey Lake virus was isolated and characterized indicating its potential circulation nature of this newly-emerged mosquito-borne virus. Key words: Bunyaviridae; Mosquito-borne viruses; Culex modestus ; Abbey lake