cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol on plasma prolactin levels in patients with schizophrenia.

Background There is relatively little comparative information on elevations in plasma prolactin level (PRL) with conventional versus novel antipsychotic agents.
Post-secondary Educational Attainment of Immigrant and Native Youth

We examine immigrant generation differences in college attendance and college type among youth ages 18 through 26 who have graduated from a U.S. high school. Results indicate that first-and second-generation immigrants are significantly more likely to attend college than their third-plus generation counterparts of similar race/ethnicity, socioeconomic and family background characteristics. While parental behaviors and expectations for college attendance do not significantly mediate these generational differences, these factors appear to indirectly affect college-going behavior through their impact on students' verbal ability and academic achievement during high school. Interaction models including race/ethnicity and generation status reveal that the second-generation effects on college attendance are largely driven by Chinese youth, whereas the first-generation effects on college attendance are largely driven by black immigrant students.
A case review: near fatal residential hydrogen sulfide exposure.

Air Medical Journal 21:3 Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) (dihydrogen monosulfide, dihydrogen sulfide, hydrosulfuric acid, sewer gas, stink damp, sulfur hydride, sulfureted hydrogen) is a colorless gas with a strong smell of rotten eggs at low concentrations ( 100 ppm), the gas overwhelms the olfactory nerve so that the victim no longer can sense the gas.14 Thus, odor is not an indication of the presence of H 2 S, and victims exposed to high concentrations may have no warning of lethal exposures. The spectrum of illness depends on the concentration and duration of exposure. The University of Michigan’s air medical transport service, Survival Flight, was activated for a scene response to a nearby community for a 9-1-1 report of an electrocution. A man and woman, both in their early 40s, had been investigating water accumulation in their basement when the sump pump or another electrical device was energized, electrocuting both victims. The man was reported to have been found face down in approximately 2 to 3 inches of water. The woman was found supine. Both victims had a reported “down time” of 15 minutes. The local fire department had secured the scene on arrival and cut power to the house to gain access to the victims. En route to the scene, the Survival Flight helicopters were diverted to the local community hospital and found both patients in the ED, having just arrived from the scene. Both patients were in full CTLS precautions, both highly agitated and unresponsive to command. Both victims displayed signs of pulmonary edema (red frothy sputum). The woman was being intubated, and the man had a Combitube in place. Both patients had stable vital signs without any history of arrhythmia or hypotension.
Differentiating Characteristics of High School Graduates, Dropouts, and Nongraduates

AbstractWe used the records from students entering two high schools in 1981 to classify students as dropouts, graduates, nongraduates returning for a fifth year, add non-graduates who did not continue. Using data from the students’ permanent records, we found numerous significant differences among these groups, some evident as early as the third grade. Cutoffs were determined on several measures, indicating that dropouts could be differentiated with 66% accuracy in the third grade and with 85% accuracy by the ninth grade. Nongraduates, a group roughly equal in size to the dropouts, could be identified with 77% accuracy by the ninth grade. Various implications for intervention programs are discussed.
Assessment of mechanical aortic valve prosthesis by means of Doppler echocardiography: what to measure and why?

See related articles on pages 313 and 337. C omprehensive 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography is the modality of choice for anatomic and hemodynamic evaluation of prosthetic heart valves. However, Doppler hemodynamic assessment of mechanical aortic valve prostheses, especially bileaflet valves, requires consideration of the physical principles governing transvalvular flows. In this issue De Carlo and colleagues have evaluated the hemodynamic performance of the small-sized, bileaflet, Sorin Bicarbon aortic valve prosthesis (SBP) using Doppler peak and mean gradients and calculated effective orifice area (EoA) and effective orifice area index (EoAi). They have shown that these parameters are comparable with those of other small bileaflet mechanical valves in the aortic position and that there is significant regression in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Because these data provide references for small SBP valves in the aortic position, it is relevant to ask the question of how best to evaluate aortic mechanical valves by means of Doppler echocardiography. To answer this question, it is important to understand the many physical principles that govern transvalvular flow dynamics and the problems and pitfalls associated with any single parameter. Routine echocardiographic evaluations of transvalvular gradients are done by using a simplification of the modified Bernoulli equation as follows: PG 1/2 V, where PG is the pressure gradient, is the density of blood, and V is the Doppler transvalvular velocity. Because 1/2 is approximately 4 for blood, the formula is simplified as follows: PG 4V.
Exercise activates redox-sensitive transcription factors and restores renal D1 receptor function in old rats.

We have previously reported that age-associated oxidative stress via protein kinase C (PKC) increases D1 receptor (D1R) phosphorylation and causes D1R-G protein uncoupling in renal proximal tubules...
Effectiveχ and surface segregation in blends of star and linear polystyrene

The existence in blends of linear and star branched polystyrenes (PS) of a bulk thermodynamic interaction due to differences in macromolecular architecture has been demonstrated with small angle neutron scattering measurements. It has also been demonstrated that a regularly star-branched polystyrene material segregates preferentially to the surface of a blend of star and linear molecules.
Liver transplantation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

The indication of liver transplantation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is highly controversial. Initially, liver transplantation was embraced as a promising treatment for ICC, providing both a wider surgical margin and a potential cure for the underlying liver disease. However, the majority of transplant centers have abandoned liver transplantation for ICC due to poor long-term survival and high recurrence rates. Interestingly, these decisions were based on studies with highly inconsistent outcomes due to a limited number of patients, various patient selection criteria, and the use of nonstandardized adjunctive therapy protocols. Indeed, recent studies have revealed that ICC patients with small solitary tumors have excellent long-term survival after liver transplantation. Moreover, as seen in early-stage hilar cholangiocarcinoma, neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy hold promise for improved long-term survival in patients with locally advanced ICC. As we work to expand treatment options for ICC, further evidence of success in this area is needed in order to justify the use of limited organ resources to treat ICC. Continued efforts to improve diagnosis of ICC, hone patient selection criteria, and implement standardized treatment protocols could provide certain patients with ICC access to potentially life-saving liver transplantation.
Pericardial effusions after cardiac transplantation

Abstract Objectives . The aim of this study was to determine the etiologic factors in the formation of significant pericardial effusion after orthotopic heart transplantation and to determine the association of pericardial effusion with survival. Background . The formation of pericardial effusions has been well described after orthotopic heart transplantation, but the risk factors for development of effusions remain unclear. Rejection and cyclosporine have been cited as possible causes, but anatomic factors bave not been studied. Methods . We conducted a retrospective review of medical records and echocardiograms of 203 consecutive patients at one center, including ischemic time, incidence and severity of rejection, weight difference between donor and recipient and previous cardiac surgical history. Multivariate analysis was performed, and actuarial survival rate curves were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Results . Eighteen (8.9%) of 203 transplant recipients developed moderate to large pericardial effusions. Forty-four percent of patients required pericardiocentesis, and 28% subsequently required pericardiectomy for management of the effusions. Multivariate analysis identified the presence of a positive weight difference between recipient and donor (recipient weight > donor weight) and the lack of previous median sternotomy as the most powerful predictors of effusion formation. No significant association was found with rejection. There was no difference in actuarial survival rate between patients with and without effusions. Conclusions . A positive mismatch in weight between recipient and donor and the absence of previous cardiac surgery are associated with the formation of significant pericardial effusions. Closer monitoring of these patients at risk may be warranted.
Estrogen Preserves Regulation of Shear Stress by Nitric Oxide in Arterioles of Female Hypertensive Rats

Previously we found that flow-induced arteriolar dilation in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is significantly impaired, due to the absence of the nitric oxide (NO)-mediated portion of the response, resulting in an elevation of maintained wall shear stress. Since estrogen has been shown to affect NO-mediated responses, we hypothesized that in female SHR (fSHR) the NO-mediated portion of flow-induced responses is preserved. Gracilis muscle arterioles (≈45 to 55 μm) from 12-week-old fSHR, ovariectomized fSHR (OV fSHR), or ovariectomized and supplemented with estrogen fSHR (OVE fSHR) were isolated, cannulated, and pressurized at 80 mm Hg of perfusion pressure. Arteriolar dilations elicited by step increases in perfusate flow from 0 to 25 μL/min were significantly less (by ≈30%) in OV fSHR compared with fSHR and OVE fSHR (Δ19.4±1.5 versus 26.0±0.9 and 26.8±2.0 μm, respectively at maximum flow rate). Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin elicited a ≈50% reduction in flow-dependent dilation in all three groups of rats. N ο-nitro-l-arginine (L-NNA) significantly inhibited flow-induced responses in arterioles of fSHR and OVE fSHR (by ≈50%) but not in those of OV fSHR. Constrictions to norepinephrine (10−7 −3×10−7mol/L) were significantly greater (up to ≈40%) in arterioles of OV fSHR compared with those of fSHR and OVE fSHR; these differences, however, were abolished in the presence of L-NNA. In conclusion, estrogen seems to preserve the NO-mediated portion of flow/shear stress-induced dilation in female hypertensive rats resulting in a lower maintained wall shear stress in female than in male SHR. The lower wall shear stress may contribute to the mechanisms by which estrogen lowers systemic blood pressure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in women.
Hepatitis B virus X protein differentially activates RAS-RAF-MAPK and JNK pathways in X-transforming versus non-transforming AML12 hepatocytes.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (pX) is implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis of chronic HBV patients by an unknown mechanism. Activities of pX likely relevant to hepatocyte transformation include activation of the mitogenic RAS-RAF-MAPK and JNK pathways. To assess the importance of mitogenic pathway activation by pX in transformation, we employed a cellular model system composed of two tetracycline-regulated, pX-expressing cell lines, constructed in AML12-immortalized hepatocytes. This system includes the differentiated 3pX-1 and the de-differentiated 4pX-1 hepatocytes. Our studies have demonstrated that conditional pX expression transforms only 3pX-1 cells. Here, comparative in vitro kinase assays and variousin vivo analyses demonstrate that pX affects an inverse activation of RAS-RAF-MAPK and JNK pathways in 3pX-1 versus4pX-1 cells. Sustained pX-dependent RAS-RAF-MAPK pathway activation is observed in pX-transforming 3pX-1 cells, whereas sustained pX-dependent JNK pathway activation is observed in pX non-transforming 4pX-1 cells. This differential, pX-dependent mitogenic pathway activation affects differential activation of cAMP-response element-binding protein and c-Jun and determines the proliferative response of 3pX-1 and 4pX-1 cells. Furthermore, tetracycline-regulated, pX-NLS-expressing cell lines demonstrate that expression of the nuclear pX-NLS variant minimally activates the RAS-RAF-MAPK pathway and results in markedly reduced transformation. These results link sustained, pX-mediated activation of RAS-RAF-MAPK pathway to hepatocyte transformation.
Some differences in pyruvate kinase regulation in selected yeasts.

Abstract The pyruvate kinase of Rhodotorula glutinis is insensitive to activation by fructose 1–6 diphosphate. The same enzyme of two other oxidative yeasts, Endomycopsis javenensis and Torulopsis famata is similarly unresponsive. Three fermentative species examined displayed significant FDP-activation of PK, and the extent of activation was influenced by cultural substrate. The PK of R. glutinis is moderately sensitive to ATP inhibition and insensitive to possible feed-back control by citrate and several fatty acids.
Mean sojourn times in Markov queueing networks: Little's formula revisited

It is commonly supposed that, L=\lambdaW applies to "almost any" queueing system with \lambda some average customer entrance rate, L the asymptotic expectation or time average of the number of customers in the system and W some average of the sojourn time. This formula is studied for irreducible positive recurrent Markov queueing systems whose state vector Z consists of entries representing queue lengths at the respective service stations; blocking, finite capacities, batch arrivals, and variable rates of arrival and service are consistent with Z . Sojourn times are defined inan augmented Markov model Y=(Z,U) , where the customer marking process U describes the service discipline in sufficiently general terms to include most possibilities of interest. It is shown that L=\lambda W is universally applicable, if properly interpreted to take account of state-varying entrance rates, batch arrivals, and multiple customer classes. L,\lambda , and W may each be equivalently viewed as time averages, means over a regeneration cycle, or expectations with respect to the asymptotic probability structure of Z . Indeterminate forms of L=\lambda W are possible within the scope of Markov queueing networks (MQN); as is shown by some examples, these may take the form \infty \times 0 for \lambda W , or of \infty= \infty for L=\lambda W .
Tryptophan Excited States and Cataracts in the Human Lens

WE present here a study of the fluorescence and phosphorescence of human eye lenses in vitro with regard to the mechanisms of formation of cataracts. Light transmission by the cornea decreases rapidly with decreasing wavelength, and is essentially zero for wavelengths less than 293 nm1–3. The important effect of this corneal absorption was demonstrated by Bachem3 who induced cataracts in guinea-pigs and rabbits with ultraviolet light and presented an action spectrum to show that the efficiency of in vivo cataract production rose steeply, from zero at 293 nm to maximum at 300 nm, and then fell off sharply at 313 nm with a long tail extending to about 365 nm. This action spectrum and the corneal absorption spectrum are shown in Fig. 1.
5.8 GHz circular polarized rectenna for microwave power transmission

This paper introduces a new circular polarized (CP) high-efficiency rectifying antenna (rectenna) array. The array elements are etched on Rogers Duroid 5870 substrate with /spl epsi//sub r/=2.33 and 10 mil thickness. The rectenna uses a dual rhombic loop antenna with a circular polarized gain of 11.7 dB and a beamwidth of 45/spl deg//55/spl deg/. The rectenna circuit has a coplanar stripline (CPS) low pass filter (LPF) which suppresses harmonics below 15 dB. The maximum RF to DC conversion efficiency of the rectenna's diode is 67%.
The polysulfide diallyl trisulfide protects the ischemic myocardium by preservation of endogenous hydrogen sulfide and increasing nitric oxide bioavailability

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a polysulfide constituent found in garlic oil, is capable of the release of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). H2S is a known cardioprotective agent that protects the heart via anti...
Providing QoS in ubiquitous telemedicine networks

Wireless LANs will play a critical role in providing anywhere and anytime connectivity for ubiquitous telemedicine applications. This paper focuses on how to provide QoS over the wireless channel between the body sensor network (BSN) gateway and the wireless access points (e.g., wireless hotspots in various locations). In the telemedicine application, it usually requires the periodic data and the data related to the occurrence of emergencies to be reported to the remote health care in a timely manner. Unlike the traditional QoS techniques which support voice and data applications, the sporadic nature of the emergency data in telemedicine systems makes it nontrivial to provide sufficient QoS support. In this paper, we first investigated several alternative schemes for emergency QoS support in the telemedicine systems. An express dual channel (EDC) based QoS provisioning mechanism is then proposed. Not only is the proposed mechanism simple and resource efficient, but also it provides the minimum delay for the unpredictable emergency data transmission. Simulation results show the proposed EDC based solution provides satisfactory QoS for ubiquitous telemedicine applications.
Purification process development using radioactive vitamin B12

The use of low-level radiotracer techniques permits rapid, precise estimation of yields and material balances for processing steps. This is a great advantage for development work with Vitamin B12 because the conventional methods using microbiological assays are slow and lack precision. Release of the vitamin from S. griseus cells, selection of absorbing resins, and screening of eluting agents were followed using cobalt-60 cyanocobalamin. The method is most valuable when supplemented by microbiological assays because the yields of radioactivity are misleading in conditions which inactivate the vitamin.
Recovery of visual search following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury

Introduction: Deficits in attentional abilities can significantly impact rehabilitation and recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study investigated the nature and recovery of preattentive (parallel) and attentive (serial) visual search abilities after TBI. Method: Participants were 40 individuals with moderate to severe TBI who were tested following emergence from posttraumatic amnesia and approximately 8 months post injury, as well as 40 age- and education-matched controls. Preattentive (automatic) and attentive (controlled) visual search situations were created by manipulating the saliency of the target item amongst distractor items in visual displays. The relationship between preattentive and attentive visual search rates and follow-up community integration were also explored. Results: The results revealed intact parallel (automatic) processing skills in the TBI group both postacutely and at follow-up. In contrast, when attentional demands on visual search were increased by reducing the sal...
Klinischer Nutzen nuklearmedizinischer Verfahren in der Demenzdiagnostik

Eine sichere Diagnose neurodegenerativer Demenzerkrankungen kann nur mittels post mortem histopathologischer Evaluation des Gehirngewebes erfolgen. Es ist akzeptiert, dass die pathologischen Veranderungen Jahre bis Jahrzehnte vor Beginn der klinischen Symptomatik einsetzen. Der Nutzen klinisch-neuropsychologischer Mase fur die fruhe Diagnostik dieser Erkrankungen im vor- oder geringsymptomatischen Stadium ist somit limitiert. Die zum Teil deutliche symptomatische Uberlappung unterschiedlicher Demenzerkrankungen erschwert zusatzlich die klinische Differenzialdiagnostik. Insbesondere neue Therapieansatze machen aber eine fruhe und zuverlassige Differenzialdiagnose immer wichtiger, was den Bedarf an geeigneten Biomarkern unterstreicht. Hier sollen zwei Verfahren der molekularen und funktionellen Bildgebung behandelt werden, die vielversprechend und gut evaluiert sind: Die FDG-PET (Positronen Emissions Tomografie) als Marker der regionalen neuronalen Dysfunktion. Und die Amyloidplaquebildgebung mittels moderner PET-Tracer wie dem PIB. Deren Wertigkeit in der Fruh- und Differenzialdiagnostik sowie fur die Patientenselektion fur Therapiestudien und fur eine objektive Therapiekontrolle wird diskutiert.
Ramped-rate vs continuous-rate infusions: An in vitro comparison of convection enhanced delivery protocols

Background: Convection enhanced delivery (CED) is a technique using infusion convection currents to deliver therapeutic agents into targeted regions of the brain. Recently, CED is gaining significant acceptance for use in gene therapy of Parkinson’s disease (PD) employing direct infusion into the brain. CED offers advantages in that it targets local areas of the brain, bypasses the blood-brain barrier (BBB), minimizes systemic toxicity of the therapeutics, and allows for delivery of larger molecules that diffusion driven methods cannot achieve. Investigating infusion characteristics such as backflow and morphology is important in developing standard and effective protocols in order to successfully deliver treatments into the brain. Optimizing clinical infusion protocols may reduce backflow, improve final infusion cloud morphology, and maximize infusate penetrance into targeted tissue. Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to compare metrics during ramped-rate and continuous-rate infusions using two different catheters in order to optimize current infusion protocols. Occasionally, the infusate refluxes proximally up the catheter tip, known as backflow, and minimizing this can potentially reduce undesirable effects in the clinical setting. Traditionally, infusions are performed at a constant rate throughout the entire duration, and backflow is minimized only by slow infusion rates, which increases the time required to deliver the desired amount of infusate. In this study, we investigate the effects of ramping and various infusion rates on backflow and infusion cloud morphology. The independent parameters in the study are: ramping, maximum infusion rate, time between rate changes, and increments of rate changes. Methods: Backflow was measured using two methods: i) at the point of pressure stabilization within the catheter, and ii) maximum backflow as shown by video data. Infusion cloud morphology was evaluated based on the height-to-width ratio of each infusion cloud at the end of each experiment. Results were tabulated and statistically analyzed to identify any significant differences between protocols. Results: The experimental results show that CED rampedrate infusion protocols result in smaller backflow distances and more spherical cloud morphologies compared to continuous-rate infusion protocols ending at the same maximum infusion rate. Our results also suggest internal-line pressure measurements can approximate the time-point at which backflow ceases. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that ramping CED infusion protocols can potentially minimize backflow and produce more spherical infusion clouds. However, further research is required to determine the strength of this correlation, especially in relation to maximum infusion rates. doi : 10.5214/ans.0972.7531.200206
A cost-effectiveness analysis of dexamethasone versus prednisone in pediatric acute asthma exacerbations.

Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of dexamethasone versus prednisone for the treatment of pediatric asthma exacerbations in the emergency department (ED). Methods: This was a cost-effectiveness analysis using a decision analysis model to compare two oral steroid options for pediatric asthma patients: 5 days of oral prednisone and 2 days of oral dexamethasone (with two dispensing possibilities: either a prescription for the second dose or the second dose dispensed at the time of ED discharge). Using estimates from published studies for rates of prescription filling, compliance, and steroid efficacy, the projected rates of ED relapse visits, hospitalizations within 7 to 10 days of the sentinel ED visit, direct costs, and indirect costs between the two arms were compared. Results: The rate of return to the ED per 100 patients within 7 to 10 days of the sentinel ED visit for the prednisone arm was 12, for the dexamethasone ⁄prescription arm was 10, and for the dexamethasone ⁄dispense arm was 8. Rates of hospitalization per 100 patients were 2.8, 2.4, and 1.9, respectively. Direct costs per 100 patients for each arm were $20,500, $17,200, and $13,900, respectively. Including indirect costs related to missed parental work, total costs per 100 patients were $22,000, $18,500, and $15,000, respectively. Total cost savings per 100 patients for the dexamethasone ⁄prescription arm compared to the prednisone arm was $3,500 and for the dexamethasone ⁄dispense arm compared to the
Mining genes in DNA using GeneScout

In this paper we present a new system, called GeneScout, for predicting gene structures in vertebrate genomic DNA. The system contains specially designed hidden Markov models (HMMs) for detecting functional sites including protein-translation start sites, mRNA splicing junction donor and acceptor sites, etc. Our main hypothesis is that, given a vertebrate genomic DNA sequence S, it is always possible to construct a directed acyclic graph G such that the path for the actual coding region of S is in the set of all paths on G. Thus, the gene detection problem is reduced to that of analyzing the paths in the graph G. A dynamic programming algorithm is used to find the optimal path in G. The proposed system is trained using an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and its performance on vertebrate gene prediction is evaluated using the 10-way cross-validation method. Experimental results show the good performance of the proposed system and its complementarity to a widely used gene detection system.
Robust fuzzy controllers

Robustness is an important requirement placed on well-designed fuzzy controllers. A robust fuzzy controller can deal with significant and unpredictable process changes. When designing a fuzzy controller it is particularly important to ensure that reasonable performance is obtained for parameter variations within and outside the design ranges. This paper presents a systematic design methodology for tuning a class of fuzzy controllers using cell maps of dynamic systems. Cell map information is incorporated in a genetic search for tuning the rule-consequent function parameters of Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy controllers (1985). The effectiveness and robustness of the designed fuzzy controller are evaluated using the inverted pendulum control problem. >
Are tribunals given appropriate and sufficient evidence for disability claims

Background Occupational physicians are sometimes surprised at the decisions made by employment tribunals. Aim To assess employment tribunal judgements on disability discrimination in order to determine whether the evidence placed before the tribunal was appropriate and sufficient. Method Qualitative review of recorded tribunal judgements for an 18-month period between 1 January 2005 and 31 June 2006. Results Of a total of 2497 cases, 2271 (91%) were withdrawn or settled before going to tribunal. Of the remaining 226 cases, 38 were default judgements. In total, 188 cases were actually heard and only 65 judgements were recorded. Of these, 50 (2% of all cases) were full hearings. In 18 full hearings, there was input from an occupational physician, and the tribunal view was that there was discrimination in six cases, four where the advice had been ignored. Only four cases had input from a consultant occupational physician; in three cases, the finding was that discrimination had not taken place and in the fourth, the advice from the consultant was ignored by the management.
Theory of High-Energy-Photon K-Shell Recombination Continuum Radiation From $Z$ -Pinch Plasmas

This paper presents explicit analytical formulas relating the X-ray yields in various energy bins of the free-bound recombination continuum to the mass, temperature, dimensions, and confinement time of the plasma participating in the K-shell emission. Estimates based on these formulas support the idea that K-shell recombination continuum radiation of argon, titanium, and iron can be a viable alternative to the K-shell line radiation of higher atomic number ions for advancing the operation of Z-pinch plasma radiation sources into the warm X-ray photon energy range of 10-20 keV. The potential of the refurbished Z accelerator for generating multikilojoule radiation yields in this energy range via recombination continuum is assessed.
Dependence of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) morphology and time-resolved photophysics on precursor solvent

Abstract The effects of precursor solvent on the optical properties and morphology of poly( p -phenylene vinylene) (PPV) films are investigated using X-ray diffraction, steady state absorption and fluorescence, and picosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. Precursor films spin cast from water yield PPV films with higher average crystallite size and conjugation than films cast from methanol. These changes affect not only the steady state absorption but also the femtosecond stimulated-emission spectra, which are narrower and red-shifted in water cast films. This indicates that PPV’s short time spectral behavior is sensitive to the details of sample preparation. Fluorescence decay measurements from 100 ps to nanoseconds at temperatures ranging from 16 to 290 K are the same for both samples, however, indicating that the longer time exciton dynamics remain unaffected.
EXTENSIVE SEARCH, INTENSIVE SEARCH, AND HIRING COSTS: NEW EVIDENCE ON EMPLOYER HIRING ACTIVITY

This paper presents recent evidence on employer search to fill a position. A 1982 employer survey sponsored by the National Institute of Education and the National Center for Research in Vocational Education provides the basis for analyzing employer search and hiring costs. The paper examines the effects of such factors as employer size, dismissal costs, unionization, on-the-job training, adjustment costs, capital, and labor market conditions on intensive employer search, extensive employer search, and hiring costs. Intensive employer search is measured by the average number of hours the employer spends recruiting, screening, and interviewing per applicant. Extensive search is measured by the number of applicants seen per applicant interviewed and the number interviewed per employment.
Joint Custody: An Exploration of the Issues

Joint custody, an increasingly popular custody decision, allows both divorced parents to share equally the rights and responsibilities of child-rearing following their divorce. The authors discuss the potential positive and negative effects of this new and highly controversial custody decision by reviewing relevant research and theoretical concepts. Suggestions for further research are offered.
Amphetamines: Biochemical and Behavioral Actions in Animals

Amphetamine and a number of pharmacologically related drugs act in the brain to increase alertness, suppress appetite, and reduce sleep and fatigue. In animals these drugs generally facilitate ongoing spontaneous and operant behaviors. High doses of these drugs cause stereotyped behaviors that are characteristic for each species, and in humans they can cause toxic psychoses. Acting in the periphery the drugs also have sympathomimetic properties.
Impact of the Coulomb interaction on the Franz-Keldysh effect in high-current photodetectors.

The Franz–Keldysh effect has been recognized as the largest contributor to oscillations in the responsivity of high-current photodetectors as a function of the applied bias or the incident light wavelength and to device nonlinearity. Prior work only considered the effect of the electric field without considering the Coulomb interaction. We show that it is not possible to obtain agreement with experiments at all optical wavelengths without including this effect in the effective mass equation. We find the maxima and minima in the absorption of the applied electric field shift when the Coulomb interaction is included. We then use the calculated absorption with the drift–diffusion equations to calculate the responsivity in a partially depleted absorber (PDA) photodetector, and we obtain excellent agreement with experiments at all biases and optical wavelengths.
Rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis Under the DSM-5 Criteria Compared to DSM-IV-TR Criteria in a Hospital-Based Clinic.

Abstract Background We aimed to determine whether there was a decrease in the number of children diagnosed on the autism spectrum after the implementation of the new diagnostic criteria as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders Fifth Edition published in May 2013. Method We reviewed 1552 charts of children evaluated at the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic. A comparison was made of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (autism, Asperger disorder, pervasive developmental disorder–not otherwise specified) from 2010 to May 2013 using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria with children diagnosed from June 2013 through June 2015 under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders Fifth Edition. Results Using χ 2 analysis, the 2013-2015 rate of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (39%) was significantly lower ( P Conclusion The rate of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis was significantly lower under the recently implemented Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders Fifth Edition criteria.
Economic Aspects of Sludge Dewatering and Disposal

The economics of sludge handling for large plants utilizing vacuum filtration and incineration or land disposal have been investigated using the total disposal system concept. Disposal system costs were found to be most sensitive to vacuum filter cake moisture content. For this reason vacuum filtration studies were made with cake moisture being a major parameter as well as yield. Filter leaf tests and in-plant studies were made utilizing four different types of sludges: raw primary, digested primary, activated, and a blend of the three previous types. It was found that sludge type, septicity, feed sludge solids content, and vacuum filter form time were the major parameters controlling the economics of vacuum filtration. Total disposal system economics were evaluated using vacuum filtration coupled with incineration and vacuum filtration followed by truck hauling and land disposal.
Biology Education in an Era of Acronyms: NSES, STEM, & NGSS

Prior to the 1920s, physics and chemistry were the two dominant science courses in U.S. high schools. They were “precollege” requirements, needed before acceptance to schools such as Harvard University. Every high school wanted its students to be admissible to the top colleges, so they offered courses in physics and chemistry. Dozens of other courses in the public school curricula – including health, hygiene, nutrition, agriculture, home economics, manual training, physical exercise, nature studies, cell theory, and human anatomy – were ultimately combined in the category of “Biology.” By the 1980s, biology had become the third science course in most high schools. Since World War II, U.S. schools have typically included biology as a 10th-grade class, along with physics and chemistry for 11th- and 12th-graders. As the 20th century concluded, biology was often the only science course required for graduation from high school. Students were interested in biology and nature studies, but biology was taught, too often, in a teacher-centered fashion. Students were frequently asked to remember the content of textbooks, laboratory manuals, and lectures without any opportunity to focus on personal explorations and explanations of nature. This was done in spite of the continual plea that we must encourage more student experiences in the actual “doing” of science and focus less on remembering …
Resistance to the third-generation cephalosporin ceftazidime by a deacylation-deficient mutant of the TEM β-lactamase by the uncommon covalent-trapping mechanism.

The Glu166Arg/Met182Thr mutant of Escherichia coli TEMpTZ19-3 β-lactamase produces a 128-fold increase in the level of resistance to the antibiotic ceftazidime in comparison to that of the parental wild-type enzyme. The single Glu166Arg mutation resulted in a dramatic decrease in both the level of enzyme expression in bacteria and the resistance to penicillins, with a concomitant 4-fold increase in the resistance to ceftazidime, a third-generation cephalosporin. Introduction of the second amino acid substitution, Met182Thr, restored enzyme expression to a level comparable to that of the wild-type enzyme and resulted in an additional 32-fold increase in the minimal inhibitory concentration of ceftazidime to 64 μg/mL. The double mutant formed a stable covalent complex with ceftazidime that remained intact for the entire duration of the monitoring, which exceeded a time period of 40 bacterial generations. Compared to those of the wild-type enzyme, the affinity of the TEMpTZ19-3 Glu166Arg/Met182Thr mutant for...
Short-Tailed Shrew in South Dakota

Although Over and Churchill (Mammals of South Dakota, 1945:7, mimeo.) mention that Blarina brevicauda brevicauda is found throughout South Dakota, we can find no records of this shrew actually having been captured in the state. The …
The best extracting factor of alumina of acid leaching from coal gangue

In order to improve the efficiency of utility using expensive component of coal gangue,wticle studied the effect of the acid leaching from the coal gangue component.This paper,orthogonal experiments of acid leaching from coal gangue to Twelfth Mining in ZHONGPING NENGHUA Group was used to obtain the best extracting factor of leaching alumina,and the effect of various factors on the extracting rate of alumina was briefly discussed.The optimal factor as follows: determined degree 0.15mm,calcination temperature 780 ℃,calcination time 2 h,hydrochloric acid 15%,liquid to solid ratio 6∶1,extraction temperature 50 ℃,extraction time 3 h.In this condition,the alumina extraction rate was 67.4%.
Professional development: a guide to the educator's portfolio.

The educator's portfolio provides a mechanism for identifying and evaluating faculty teaching activities. The educator's portfolio has separate areas for educational research, teaching encounters, ...
Children as Saviors? A Propensity Score Analysis of the Impact of Teenage Motherhood on Personal Transformation

Teenage mothers often report immense personal benefits of children, claiming that motherhood reordered their priorities, provided a sense of purpose, and prevented a worse fate, yet the potentially...
Construction of Female Urethra from Vaginal Wall and a Perineal Flap

AbstractFive incontinent girls between 4 and 18 years old were made continent by constructing in each case a long extension of the urethra up to the clitoris. Previous operations at the proximal end of the urethra, to narrow the bladder neck, had not achieved continence. Lengthening the urethra was accomplished by tubularizing the anterior vaginal wall and covering that with a generous pedicle flap from the perineum. The base of the pedicle flap was divided later, restoring the introitus to a normal appearance. Of the 5 patients 3 had the underlying problem of ureteral ectopia with congenital deficiency of the urethra and the bladder neck, 1 had a marked degree of female hypospadias with absence of the distal urethra and in 1 the cause for incontinence was extensive internal urethrotomy during early childhood. This procedure should be applicable to certain difficult cases of incontinence in pediatric and adult patients.
Visibility and measurability for trust management in cooperative business operations

Trust is essential to establish relationships with other entities like business partners and service providers. A key aspect of trust is transparency. Only by having a certain level of visibility into what others are doing on our behalf, we can build trust in our relationships with them. In this paper we present a framework and a platform for trust management that facilitates visibility and measurability into the execution of requested or outsourced services. The key benefit of the proposed approach is that service providers can offer visibility over their processes in a selective fashion, by allowing providers to define process-oriented views over business operations and by letting prospective and current customers assess process execution quality without exposing confidential information
"Alimentación abundante, sana y barata". Los restaurantes populares en Santiago (1936-1942)

Este articulo aborda la experiencia inedita de los restaurantes populares en Santiago de Chile, en el contexto de debates por el alza en el costo de la vida y la formulacion de una primera politica de alimentacion popular durante los anos 1930. Utilizando fuentes variadas se analizan los objetivos de los restaurantes populares, en especial el ofrecer una alimentacion nutritiva y a bajo costo, junto a las discusiones que genero en el contexto politico de la epoca.
Ultrasound-Guided Injections

Anatomic landmark palpation-guided injections (ALMPG) have long been part of the treatment for arthritis and soft tissue rheumatism among musculoskeletal providers. Ultrasound-guided (USG) injections have been shown to be more accurate and less painful than ALMPG injections and increases procedural safety to allow for additional procedures at the point-of-care that previously have had not been considered (e.g., hip joint injection). This chapter reviews the evidence based support for USG injections and reviews USG injection approaches for common joint and soft tissue injections in clinical practice.
Vickers Indentation Cracking of Ion-Exchanged Glasses: Quasi-Static vs. Dynamic Contact

The indentation deformation and cracking responses of ion-exchanged glasses were measured using quasi-static and dynamic loading cycles. Two glass types were compared, a normal glass that deforms to a large extent by a shearing mechanism and a damage resistant glass that comparatively deforms with less shear and more densification. The quasi-static indentation cracking threshold for median/radial cracks for the ion-exchanged normal glass was determined to be 7 kilograms force (kgf), while the ion-exchanged damage resistant glass required loads exceeding 30 kgf. The increased cracking threshold of the damage resistant glass composition is attributed to the deformation mechanism, i.e. deformation with greater densification/less shear results in less subsurface damage and less residual stress. Both glass types were also subjected to dynamic indentation where the contact event time was more than 10,000 times shorter than the quasi-static condition. Under dynamic loading conditions, the cracking thresholds of the ion-exchanged normal and damage resistant glasses increased to greater than 50 kgf and greater than 150 kgf, respectively. The stress induced optical retardation was compared for quasi-static and dynamic indents made at sub-cracking threshold loads for both glasses. For indents made at the same sub-cracking threshold load in the normal glass, optical retardation mapping indicates less residual stress surrounding dynamic indents when compared to quasi-static indents. This suggests a rate dependence on the deformation mechanism in normal glasses with higher rates promoting densification in favor of shear. However, for damage resistant glass, the stress induced optical retardation is the same for indents made at both quasi-static and dynamic indentation rates.
Properties of Nitrogen-Doped Zinc Telluride Films for Back Contact to Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics

Zinc telluride (ZnTe) films have been deposited onto uncoated glass superstrates by reactive radiofrequency (RF) sputtering with different amounts of nitrogen introduced into the process gas, and the structural and electronic transport properties of the resulting nitrogen-doped ZnTe (ZnTe:N) films characterized. Based on transmission and x-ray diffraction measurements, it was observed that the crystalline quality of the ZnTe:N films decreased with increasing nitrogen in the deposition process. The bulk carrier concentration of the ZnTe:N films determined from Hall-effect measurements showed a slight decrease at 4% nitrogen flow rate. The effect of ZnTe:N films as back contact to cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells was also investigated. ZnTe:N films were deposited before or after CdCl2 passivation on CdTe/CdS samples. Small-area devices were characterized for their electronic properties. Glancing-angle x-ray diffraction measurements and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis confirmed substantial loss of zinc from the samples where CdCl2 passivation was carried out after ZnTe:N film deposition.
High frame-rate imaging and adaptive tracking of shear shock wave formation in the brain: A fullwave and experimental study

Linearly polarized nonlinear shear waves have a cubic nonlinearity which generates shear shock waves. This behavior has been only observed in a homogeneous gelatin phantom with ultrafast plane wave ultrasound imaging and a correlation-based tracking algorithm to determine particle motion. However, in heterogeneous soft tissue, such as brain, clutter degrades motion tracking. We propose a high frame-rate ultrasound imaging sequence consisting of multiple focused emissions that reduce the side lobes and clutter artifacts to accurately track shear shock wave motion in the soft tissue of the human body. This imaging technique is applied to an ex-vivo porcine brain to demonstrate applications to traumatic brain injury. A previously developed adaptive tracking algorithm is optimized to determine and characterize the specific odd harmonic signature that is characteristic of shear shock waves. This optimization and validation was determined with a numerical description of shear shock waves using a Rusanov-Fourier scheme, that supports nonlinearity and an arbitrary frequency dependent attenuation law. Fullwave simulations were then used to generate ultrasound images of shear shock waves propagating through a medium displaced according to theoretical predictions. The performance of the adaptive tracking algorithm is compared to the Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) in terms of bias, and jitter. Experimentally, we show how the significant improvements in tracking performance from the proposed imaging sequence and tracking algorithm were necessary for this first experimental observation of shear shock waves in the brain.