cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The economic impact of infection requiring hospitalization on venous leg ulcers

Abstract Objective To determine the impact of infection (INF) on medical resource utilization (MRU) and cost of care in patients with venous leg ulcers (VLU). Methods We performed a retrospective case-control study of 78 patients followed for a minimum of 12 months with C6 VLUs treated by vascular surgeons, at our wound center. To eliminate minor episodes of INF or incorrectly diagnosed episodes, only patients who had an inpatient admission specifically for INF comprised the INF group, whereas all other admissions were excluded for this group. MRU was defined as the number of clinic visits, Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) visits, and inpatient admissions. The actual cost for treatment was determined using financial data provided by both the hospital and physician organization billing units. The total cost over the 1-year follow-up period comprised individual cost centers: inpatient and outpatient facility fees, physician fees, and visiting nurse services. Mean MRU and cost data were compared using the two-sample t-test between INF and NON-INF. Results Of the 78 patients with C6 VLU, 9 (11.5%) had at least one inpatient admission for INF related to their VLU in the 1-year treatment period, with an additional five recurrent admissions for a total of 14 admissions, whereas 69 NON-INF had three NON-INF-related admissions. There was no difference between INF and NON-INF for usual risk factors, but INF had a greater proportion of congestive heart failure (44%; 13%, P Conclusions INFs in patients with VLU led to an overall increase in MRU and cost of care, with the INF cohort requiring more inpatient admissions, outpatient visits, and VNA services than NON-INF. Given the major impact INF has on cost and MRU, better treatment modalities that prevent INF as well as identifying risk factors for INF in patients with VLU are needed.
AMPA receptor trafficking and LTP: Carboxy-termini, amino-termini and TARPs

Abstract AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are fundamental elements in excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in the CNS. Long term potentiation (LTP), a form of synaptic plasticity which contributes to learning and memory formation, relies on the accumulation of AMPARs at the postsynapse. This phenomenon requires the coordinated recruitment of different elements in the AMPAR complex. Based on recent research reviewed herein, we propose an updated AMPAR trafficking and LTP model which incorporates both extracellular as well as intracellular mechanisms. This article is part of the special Issue on ‘Glutamate Receptors – AMPA receptors’.
Chromogranin A Deficiency Confers Protection from Autoimmune Diabetes Via Multiple Mechanisms.

Recognition of beta-cell antigens by autoreactive T cells is a critical step in the initiation of autoimmune Type1 diabetes (T1D). A complete protection from diabetes development in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice harboring a point mutation in the insulin B-chain 9-23 epitope points to a dominant role of insulin in diabetogenesis. Generation of NOD mice lacking the Chromogranin A protein (NOD.ChgA-/-) completely nullified the autoreactivity of the BDC2.5 T cell and conferred protection from diabetes onset. These results raised the issue concerning the dominant antigen that drives the autoimmune process. Here we revisited the NOD.ChgA-/- mice and found that their lack of diabetes development may not be solely explained by the absence of Chromogranin A reactivity. NOD.ChgA-/- mice displayed reduced presentation of insulin peptides in the islets and periphery, which corresponded to impaired T cell priming. Diabetes development in these mice was restored by antibody treatment targeting regulatory T cells or inhibiting TGFβ and PD-1 pathways. Therefore, the global deficiency of chromogranin A impairs recognition of the major diabetogenic antigen insulin, leading to broadly impaired autoimmune responses controlled by multiple regulatory mechanisms.
County health outcomes linkage to county spending on social services, building infrastructure, and law and order.

Abstract Will counties that reallocate money from law enforcement to social services improve subsequent markers of population wellbeing? In this study, we measure the association between county government spending across multiple sectors and Life Expectancy at Birth (LEB) in the U.S. using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. We constructed a Structural Equation Model to determine whether social expenditure, building infrastructure, and spending on law and order were positively or negatively associated with LEB three-years after initial spending. The analysis compared data between 2002-05 and 2007-10 and was stratified for urban and rural counties. In rural counties, a one-standard-deviation increase in social spending increased subsequent LEB by 0.58 (SE 0.16) and 0.36 (SE 0.16) years in 2005 and 2010, respectively. In urban counties, a one-standard-deviation increase in building infrastructure spending increased subsequent LEB by 1.14 (SE 0.51) and 1.05 (SE 0.49) years in 2005 and 2010, respectively. In 2002, a one-standard-deviation increase in law and order spending significantly decreased subsequent life expectancy, 2.2 (SE 1.27) and 0.46 (SE 0.13) years in urban and rural counties, respectively. Similarly, investments in building infrastructure for urban counties and social services for rural counties were associated with subsequently higher life expectancy three years later after initial investments.
CHAPTER IV – Martingales and Likelihood Ratios

The fundamental inequalities and the basic convergence theory of discrete (sub)martingales are developed in this chapter. As an important application the Gaussian dichotomy theorem is established and then various likelihood ratios for Gaussian processes are given. Some other extensions (e.g., asymptotic martingales) and consequences are included in the text and as complements.
SU-F-BRD-14: Dose Weighted Linear Energy Transfer Analysis of Critical Structures in Proton Therapy of Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients

Purpose: Dose weighted Linear Energy Transfer (LETd) analysis of critical structures may be useful in understanding the side effects of the proton therapy. The objective is to analyze the differences between LETd and dose distributions in brain tumor patients receiving double scattering proton therapy, to quantify LETd variation in critical organs, and to identify beam arrangements contributing to high LETd in critical organs. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations of 9 pediatric brain tumor patients were performed. The treatment plans were reconstructed with the TOPAS Monte Carlo code to calculate LETd and dose. The beam data were reconstructed proximal to the aperture of the double scattering nozzle. The dose and LETd to target and critical organs including brain stem, optic chiasm, lens, optic nerve, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus were computed for each beam. Results: Greater variability in LETd compared to dose was observed in the brainstem for patients with a variety of tumor types including 5 patients with tumors located in the posterior fossa. Approximately 20%–44% brainstem volume received LETd of 5kev/µm or greater from beams within gantry angles 180°±30° for 5 patients treated with a 3 beam arrangement. Critical organs received higher LETd when located in the vicinity of the beam distal edge. Conclusion: This study presents a novel strategy in the evaluation of the proton treatment impact on critical organs. While the dose to critical organs is confined below the required limits, the LETd may have significant variation. Critical organs in the vicinity of beam distal edge receive higher LETd and depended on beam arrangement, e.g. in posterior fossa tumor treatment, brainstem receive higher LETd from posterior-anterior beams. This study shows importance of the LETd analysis of the radiation impact on the critical organs in proton therapy and may be used to explain clinical imaging observations after therapy.
Lovin’ the Man: Examining the Legal Nexus of Irony, Hypocrisy, and Curiosity

This essay explores through autobiography and historical precedent the communication dynamics of interracial couples and whether those dynamics are the product of an externally constructed racial dynamic. The author attempts to situate her personal narrative within a larger socio-legal and sociopolitical history. The essay discusses the contemporary hostility towards interracial couples and examines the history of such hostility in the United States.Richard Perry Loving and Mildred Jeter Loving, the interracial couple at the center of the landmark Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia, are illustrative of these dynamics. The Lovings were forced to confront laws and public attitudes that valued white racial purity. In the words of Chief Justice Earl Warren, “the fact that Virginia prohibits only interracial marriage involving white persons demonstrates that the racial classifications must stand on their own justification, as measures designed to maintain White Supremacy.”Since Loving v. Virginia, interracial couples must also contend with social attitudes and stereotypes which are not overtly disapproving. Examples of these attitudes include people who enter into or support interracial relationships in order to display their own good racial politics. Interracial couples must also contend with stereotyped notions of sexuality and attitudes that surround those stereotypes. This essay explores the entering of public morals, attitudes, and racialized stereotypes into the private sphere. The author explores the external pressures these attitudes cause and the private communication navigation they require.
Buying Justice: How the Media Frames Interest Group and Political Party Involvement in State Supreme Court Elections

Media coverage of the role of interest groups and political parties in judicial elections has the potential to shape citizens’ attitudes toward the judiciary. By framing the participation of groups in certain ways, the media can influence the way that citizens perceive a problem such as unlimited third party spending and alter their final evaluation of the issues. This paper examines the media frames that are used to explain the participation of groups in judicial elections, and how the groups might have contributed to the development of the media’s frames. An exploratory factor analysis indicated that the elements clustered into four frames: buying justice, polluting elections, politization, and loopholes. Overall, groups were portrayed as having a negative impact on judicial elections and the judiciary. Even if groups were not directly influencing the decision-making of justices, the media’s frames were adding to the perception that justice is for sale.
Russia at the Crossroads: Two Roads to Global Economic Competitiveness

Relying on a wide range of foreign sources, the author presents the concept of "high" and "low" roads to national economic competitiveness and argues that, over the past fifteen years, the Russian economy has been gradually slipping down toward the "low road" and "immiserising economic growth". Russia is in urgent need of a visionary national strategy of integration into global market economy that would take into account the world-wide dominance of post-industrial "knowledge economy". Current government economic policy should focus on creating enabling conditions for Russian companies to learn to compete with the leading trans-national corporations on their own terms, i.e. mostly by enhancing their products’ and services’ innovativeness and attractiveness for the most demanding global consumers rather than by minimizing costs and prices.
Local Search Algorithms for the Bin Packing Problem and Their Relationships to Various Construction Heuristics

The tradeoff between the speed and quality of the solutions obtained by various construction and local search algorithms for the elementary bin packing problem (BPP) are analyzed to obtain useful information for designing algorithms for real-world problems that can be modeled as BPPs. On the basis of intensive computational experiments, we observe that the framework of a solution (i.e., a part of a solution consisting of large items or items with tight constraints) should be constructed in the early stages of a local search. New local search algorithms are proposed as empirical support for the observation.
Model-Based Conceptual Design Optimization Methods: Disaggregated Weather System Follow-On

The future of space-based defense weather systems is uncertain due to the cancellation of the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System and Defense Weather Satellite System...
A Photoelectric Hygrometer

An instrument that measures small absolute humidity changes by the photoelectric examination of the 9,440 Angstrom-units absorption band of water vapor is described. The instrument consists of a sm...
Asynchronous protocols for optimistic fair exchange

The optimistic approach of involving a third party only in the case of exceptions is a useful technique to build secure, yet practical fair exchange protocols. Previous solutions using this approach implicitly assumed that players had reliable communication channels to the third party. We present a set of optimistic fair exchange protocols which tolerate temporary failures in the communication channels to the third party. A central feature of the protocols is that either player can asynchronously and unilaterally bring a protocol run to completion.
Cosmological Filaments and Minivoids: The Origin of Intergalactic Absorption

Soon after the first QSO was identified, Gunn & Peterson searched for the expected characteristic absorption trough on the blueward side of Lya in the spectrum of the QSO due to an Intergalactic Medium (IGM). They failed to find it, placing a constraint on the density of neutral hydrogen in the IGM that was less than 1 part in 10^5 of that residing in galaxies, and concluded that the IGM must be highly ionized. Soon afterwards absorption by Lya was detected in the IGM; not by a diffuse component, but by a clumpy component of intergalactic gas clouds, the Lya forest. The goal then became to search for `excess' absorption beyond that expected from the forest. No clear absorption by a diffuse HI component, however, was ever detected. The results of recent numerical hydrodynamics computations of the formation of the Lya forest appear to indicate that the division between a clumpy component and a diffuse one may be inappropriate. We find that in a CDM-dominated cosmology, no substantial diffuse medium should be expected. Instead, the medium condenses into a network of complex structures that reveal themselves as discrete absorption systems in the spectra of QSOs. The lowest column density lines arise from the fine structure in minivoids -- small regions with densities below the cosmic mean. These results suggest that the long sought for diffuse HI Gunn-Peterson effect may not exist.
When cycles are cheap, some tables can be huge

The goal of this paper is to raise a new question: What changes in operating systems and networks if it were feasible to have a (type of) lookup table that supported billions, or hundreds of billions, of entries, using only a few bits per entry. We do so by showing that the progress of Moore's law, continuing to give more and more transistors per chip, makes it possible to apply formerly ludicrous amounts of brute-force parallel computation to find spacesavings opportunities. We make two primary observations: First, that some applications can tolerate getting an incorrect answer from the table if they query for a key that is not in the table. For these applications, we can discard the keys entirely, using storage space only for the values. Further, for some applications, the value is not arbitrary. If the range of output values is small, we can instead view the problem as one of set separation. These two observations allow us to shrink the size of the mapping by brute force searching for a "perfect mapping" from inputs to outputs that (1) does not store the input keys; and (2) avoids collisions (and thus the related storage). Our preliminary results show that we can reduce memory consumption by an order of magnitude compared to traditional hash tables while providing competitive or better lookup performance.
Evaluation Geographical Knowledge in the Eye of Power: Reflections on Derek Gregory's Geographical Imaginations

(1995). Evaluation Geographical Knowledge in the Eye of Power: Reflections on Derek Gregory's Geographical Imaginations. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 85, No. 1, pp. 160-164.
Race of the Future: Mixing of Colors in the United States Leading to One Race?

This article examines the impacts of the race of the future theory on the U.S. population. By and large, the theory posits that the mixing of different races—due to the process of miscegenation, especially in marriage, cohabitation, or sexual relations—will blend all races, so much so that, in the future, the end result of this mixing will be a panracial formation (i.e., one race). In this analysis, the authors attempt to determine whether the mixing of colors currently happening in the United States will lead to one race and what the race of the future in the United States will “look” like. One of the major conclusions is that, although the possibility of the existence of the race of the future has yet to be established, the degree of multiraciality in the U.S. population is rapidly growing (based on data and statistics from the U.S. Bureau of the Census).
Ecosystem dynamics at a productivity gradient: A study of the lower trophic dynamics around the northern atolls in the Hawaiian Archipelago

Abstract Application of a lower trophic ecosystem model coupled with an ocean circulation model allows us to derive a time series of estimated plankton biomass for waters around Kure Atoll, Pearl & Hermes Atoll and Midway Islands, over the period 1964–2006. This time series shows considerable interannual and decadal variation in productivity, and changes in recent years that are coherent with observed changes at higher trophic levels. Further the model results show that the change in productivity can be viewed from the perspective that the atolls, at the northern edge of the subtropical gyre, are situated at a strong physical, chemical and biological gradient. The gradient moves north and south seasonally and interannually resulting in changes in lower trophic level productivity around the atolls fixed in position. Variation in biome boundaries or gradients may be a key factor in ecosystem dynamics in many ecosystems located near such boundaries.
Colloid-chemical properties of manganese dioxide

A synthetic, poorly ordered manganese dioxide (Mn01.90-MnO1.95) has been studied with respect to colloidal stability and the ability to sorb or exchange Mn+2, with concomitant release of H+ ions. MnO2 suspensions of concentrations 10−5 to 10−3M were observed to exist as colloidal dispersions at neutral and alkaline pH values for periods of several months or more. Deductions based upon acid-base titrations of MnO2 suspensions indicate that the zero point of charge with respect to net OH− and H+ ions bound is somewhat below pH 3 and that H+ and OH− function as potential-determining ions. Colloidal MnO2 is destabilized by relatively small concentrations of Mn+2 ions; H+ ions are released in the process. At pH 7.5 the capacity of the oxide for Mn+2 sorption is 0.5 mole of Mn+2 per mole of MnO2; capacities of ca. 2 moles per mole are realized at pH values near 9. The uptake of Mn+2 and release of H+ occurs rather rapidly, times of the order of 5 minutes or less being required for 50 % exchange. The observed nonstoichiometric products of oxidation of dilute Mn+2 would seem to be interpreted satisfactorily as resulting from the uptake of Mn+2 ions in varying proportions by hydrous manganese dioxide. The characteristics of colloidal MnO2 appear to provide an instructive model for interpreting the behavior of a number of other colloidal hydrous metal oxides.
A continuum model for the dynamics of flow‐induced crystallization

A model for flow-induced crystallization is developed which is based on ideas from the theory of strain-induced crystallization, coupled with an irreversible thermodynamic formalism based on the continuum Hamiltonian Poisson Brackets. The latter allows accounting for the changing energetics during simultaneous flow deformation and extended-chain crystallization. Input parameters to the model include the molecular relaxation time, a crystallization parameter, and the molecular weight. Calculations of the crystallization rate, chain elongation, stress, and birefringence are presented for a variety of flow kinematics and flow histories, including transient processes following cessation of flow. Induction times based on a reasonable choice for the induction crystallinity follow experimentally observed trends reported in the literature. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Use of oxiranes in the preparation of bonded phase supports

Summary A variety of stationary phases were bonded to silaceous supports through an intermediate silane coupling agent, γ-glycidoxypropylsilane. Consequently, a series of ion-exchange, hydrophobic, and hydrophilic supports were prepared that are stable, withstand high mobile phase velocities, and have sufficient porosity to allow the partitioning of biopolymers. Liquid-liquid partition chromatography of proteins was achieved with phosphate buffers while the separation of a series of aromatic compounds was accomplished on the same columns with hexane. Anion- and cation-exchange supports were found to have hemoglobin ion- exchange capacities similar to classical cross-linked dextrans while allowing separation speeds 10–20 times those of carbohydrate gel supports.
Optimization of the heteroepitaxy of Ge on GaAs for minority-carrier lifetime

Growth of Ge on GaAs at reasonably high temperatures, which produces better crystallinity in the Ge, presents serious difficulties due to the dissociation of the GaAs substrate. In this paper, we describe the growth of a low-temperature buffer layer of Ge on GaAs that considerably reduces the effects of decomposition of the GaAs during high-temperature growth of Ge. Using this approach, we present the first report of highly specular, mass-transport-limited, high-temperature growth of Ge on GaAs that is comparable to the homoepitaxy of Ge, although with a reasonably high residual n-type ( ∼1018 cm-3) doping level. The factors affecting the structural, electrical and optical properties of Ge on GaAs, using such an epitaxial growth technique, were studied. Lifetime variations from very low values to about 0.45 μs were measured by a microwave technique as a function of growth conditions. Significantly, the removal of the surface oxide on the GaAs substrate prior to low-temperature buffer-layer growth, terminating the flow of germane (GeH4) during the ramp to high growth temperatures, thinner buffer layers, and high-temperature growth of Ge, were found to be important for obtaining long lifetimes.
On Determining the Basic Tempo of an Expressive Music Performance

In an expressive music performance, the local tempo varies continuously and often asymmetrically around an implied (nominally constant) basic tempo. This preliminary study explored how pianists organise the expressive timing structure around an intended basic beat rate, how listeners judge the basic tempo of such a modulated performance, and what objectively measurable property of the performances the intended and/or judged tempi might correspond to. Two pianists played Robert Schumann's Traumerei three times at each of three intended tempi cued by a metronome. Tempo judgments (metronome settings) for the initial 8 bars of each performance were subsequently obtained from listeners who were pianists themselves. The judged tempi were generally slower than the intended tempi, which was attributed to a tendency of the performers to play slower than intended, especially at the faster tempi. The timing microstructure of each performance was quantified in terms of the frequency distribution of (raw or transforme...
Numerical solution of supersonic laminar flow over a three-dimensional compression corner

A newly developed, rapid numerical scheme is extended to three dimensions to solve the complete Navier-Stokes equations for a supersonic, laminar flow over a compression corner with sidewall effects. The program is coded so that it can solve for a general curved ramp surface geometry such as found in inlets and fuselage-wing-flap junctions. A test case of Mach 3.0 flow is calculated. In regions where three-dimensional effects are small, good agreement is obtained between the present calculation and previous two-dimensional solutions. In other regions, the results show complex three-dimensional flow-field interactions including shock-shock and shock/boundary-layer interactions
Impaired context processing as a potential marker of psychosis risk state

While structural abnormalities of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may pre-date and predict psychosis onset, the relationships between functional deficits, cognitive and psychosocial impairments has yet to be explored in the at-risk period. An established measure of cognitive control (AXCPT) was administered to demographically matched clinical-high-risk (CHR; n=25), first-episode schizophrenia (FE; n=35), and healthy control (HC; n=35) participants during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate these relationships. CHR and FE individuals demonstrated impaired context processing and reduced DLPFC activation relative to HC individuals during increased cognitive control demands. FE and CHR individuals' ability to increase DLPFC activity in response to cognitive control demands was associated with better task performance. Task performance was also associated with severity of disorganization and poverty symptoms in FE participants. These findings support more extensive studies using fMRI to examine the clinical significance of prefrontal cortical functioning in the earliest stages of psychosis.
Is the Diagnosis of ADHD Influenced by Time of Entry to School? An Examination of Clinical, Familial, and Functional Correlates in Children at Early and Late Entry Points

Objective: The authors examined the proposed immaturity hypothesis, which suggests that younger children may have developmental immaturity and not ADHD, using data from a large, clinically referred...
Di-μ-methanolato-bis[(2-tert-butyl-6-methylphenolato-κO)methyl-titanium(IV)].

The molecule of the title compound, [Ti2(CH3)2(CH3O)2(C11H15O)4] or {[Ti(Me)(μ-OCH3)(OC6H3CMe3-2-Me-6)]2}, has a centrosymmetric, dimeric structure with a distorted square pyramidal array about each titanium atom. The methoxide ligands form an asymmetric bridge between the two TiIV atoms [Ti—O bond lengths of 1.9794 (12) and 2.0603 (12) A] with the two phenolato ligands occupying the remaining basal sites [Ti—O 1.8218 (11) and 1.8135 (11) A]. The Ti—O—C phenolato bond angles are similar at 161.24 (10) and 160.66 (11)°. The methyl ligand attached to the metal atom has a Ti—C bond length of 2.0878 (17) A.
Improving modularity by refactoring code clones: a feasibility study on Linux

Modularity is an important principle of software design. It is directly associated with software understandability, maintainability, and reusability. However, as software systems evolve, old code segments are modified / removed and new code segments are added, the original modular design of the program might be distorted. One of the factors that can affect the modularity of the system is the introduction of code clones --- a portion of source code that is identical or similar to another --- in the software evolution process. This paper applies clone detection techniques to study the modularity of Linux. The code clones are first identified using an automatic tool. Then each clone set is analyzed by a domain expert to classify it into one of the three clone concern categories: singular concern, crosscutting concern, and partial concern. Different approaches to dealing with these different categories of code clones are suggested in order to improve modularity.
Demarcation laser photocoagulation of selected macula-sparing rhegmatogenous retinal detachments.

Abstract Objective To report a series of macula-sparing rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (MSRRDs) treated with demarcation laser photocoagulation (DLP). Design Retrospective, noncomparative case series. Participants Thirty-one patients (34 eyes) with primary or recurrent MSRRDs without associated visual field loss, necrotizing retinitis, or proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), managed with DLP from November 1992 through May 1999. Intervention Demarcation laser photocoagulation consisting of a triple row of confluent laser burns. Main outcome measures Best corrected postoperative visual acuity and MSRRD progression or recurrence. Results Thirty-four primary and recurrent MSRRDs were treated by DLP, which consisted of a triple row of confluent laser burns. Macula-sparing rhegmatogenous retinal detachments were located in all quadrants and affected 10% to 45% of the retina. Findings associated with MSRRDs included lattice degeneration (12 eyes), vitreous hemorrhage (4 eyes), and demarcation line (9 eyes). Symptoms (photopsias or floaters) were associated with 14 MSRRDs. Eight eyes were myopic and 11 were pseudophakic. Thirty-two MSRRDs were shallow, two were dome shaped, and all were smooth without corrugations. Follow-up ranged from 1.5 to 80 months (mean, 15.8 months; median, 17 months). Thirty-three of 34 detachments remained stable after DLP. Three flattened spontaneously. One eye was managed with scleral buckle 6 weeks after DLP. Progression was attributed to incomplete laser treatment. Best corrected postoperative visual acuity was the same or improved in all but one eye, in which a cataract developed. Conclusions Demarcation laser photocoagulation is an effective method to manage acute or chronic, primary or recurrent MSRRDs without associated PVR that are shallow and smooth without corrugations. Demarcation laser photocoagulation is an alternative to both observation and surgical repair for these select MSRRDs.
Effect of a femoral head prosthesis on megavoltage beam radiotherapy

Abstract A few patients undergoing pelvic irradiation present with a prosthetic hip. The presence of this metal object often interferes with the lateral treatment fields if a four-field box irradiation technique is used. Measurements of the effect such a prosthesis* may have on the dose delivered to the pelvis for beams of 60 Co gamma rays and 10 MV and 25 MV X rays, as a function of field size and depth have been made. The results show a strong variation in the dose behind the prosthesis depending on the position of the measurement, with little or no increase through the center of the head or ball, but a sharp drop either around its circumference or along the stem of the prosthesis. Measurements made with ionization chambers through the head of the prosthesis indicate an average dose decrease of approximately 2% for 25 MV X rays and average increases of approximately 2% for 10 MV X rays and 5% for 6O Co. There is little variation with field size and depth except close to the prosthesis, at 25 MV. Measurements also indicate an increase in dose close to the upstream surface of the prosthesis at all energies, but in the downstream direction, only the data at 25 MV shows an increase.
Heterozygote detection of type I Gaucher disease using blood platelets.

Abstract This report describes a reliable and reproducible method for the identification of carriers of Type I Gaucher disease using blood platelets as the source of β-glucosidase and 4-methylumbelliferyl-β- d -glucoside as substrate. Platelet lysates have at least two identifiable β-glucosidase activities with the synthetic substrate. One is maximally active at pH 5.0 in the absence of sodium taurocholate and the other at pH 5.6 in the presence of taurocholate. In platelets of Gaucher homozygotes and heterozygotes, the β-glucosidase activity at pH 5.6 with the bile salt is reduced whereas the activity at pH 5.0 is the same in non-carriers, carriers and affected patients. In addition to differences in specific activity, the ratio of β-hexosaminidase to βglucosidase activities is a useful parameter in the evaluation of the carrier state. Since carriers have normal activity of hexosaminidase and a reduced activity of β-glucosidase, their mean activity ratio is about 70% higher than in non-carriers. Therefore we propose that the specific activity of β-glucosidase at pH 5.6 in the presence of sodium taurocholate with the. ratio of β-hexosaminidase to β-glucosidase serve as useful and reliable indices in the evaluation of the carrier state for Gaucher disease.
In Vivo Identification of Bipotential Adipocyte Progenitors Recruited by β3-Adrenoceptor Activation and High-Fat Feeding

Nutritional and pharmacological stimuli can dramatically alter the cellular phenotypes in white adipose tissue (WAT). Utilizing genetic lineage tracing techniques, we demonstrate that brown adipocytes (BA) that are induced by β3-adrenergic receptor activation in abdominal WAT arise from the proliferation and differentiation of cells expressing platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα), CD34, and Sca-1 (PDGFRα(+) cells). PDGFRα(+) cells have a unique morphology in which extended processes contact multiple cells in the tissue microenvironment. Surprisingly, these cells also give rise to white adipocytes (WA) that can comprise up to 25% of total fat cells in abdominal fat pads following 8 weeks of high-fat feeding. Isolated PDGFRα(+) cells differentiated into both BA and WA in vitro and generated WA after transplantation in vivo. The identification of PDGFRα(+) cells as bipotential adipocyte progenitors will enable further investigation of mechanisms that promote therapeutic cellular remodeling in adult WAT.
Deformation mechanisms in nanotwinned metal nanopillars

Nanotwinned metals are attractive in many applications because they simultaneously demonstrate high strength and high ductility, characteristics that are usually thought to be mutually exclusive. However, most nanotwinned metals are produced in polycrystalline forms and therefore contain randomly oriented twin and grain boundaries making it difficult to determine the origins of their useful mechanical properties. Here, we report the fabrication of arrays of vertically aligned copper nanopillars that contain a very high density of periodic twin boundaries and no grain boundaries or other microstructural features. We use tension experiments, transmission electron microscopy and atomistic simulations to investigate the influence of diameter, twin-boundary spacing and twin-boundary orientation on the mechanical responses of individual nanopillars. We observe a brittle-to-ductile transition in samples with orthogonally oriented twin boundaries as the twin-boundary spacing decreases below a critical value (~3–4 nm for copper). We also find that nanopillars with slanted twin boundaries deform via shear offsets and significant detwinning. The ability to decouple nanotwins from other microstructural features should lead to an improved understanding of the mechanical properties of nanotwinned metals.
Pulsed high pressure mass spectrometry with near-viscous flow ion sampling

Abstract Rate constants for the reaction, F − + CH 3 I → CH 3 F + I − , are determined at 150°C by pulsed electron beam high pressure mass spectrometry (PHPMS) under conditions where the ions within the source are sampled by near-viscous flow through ion-exit apertures of relatively large diameter. It is shown that the rate constants thereby determined are of high accuracy and are not subject to a common source of measurement error that is intrinsic to PHPMS measurements made under the molecular or near-molecular flow conditions that are generally used. The success of ion sampling by near-viscous flow demonstrated here also suggests that the PHPMS technique can be successfully extended to the study of ion/molecule reaction rates at significantly greater buffer gas pressures than previously considered feasible within the conventional view of the method.
Diagnostic patch test concentration for Kathon CG.

Patch test studies, 21-day cumulative irritancy assays and Draize repeat insult patch tests with Kathon CG, were used to ascertain an appropriate diagnostic patch test concentration. A dilution of 100 ppm a.i. (aq. or pet.) appears to have low irritancy potential. Further observations are required to verify if this concentration is high enough to detect most cases of sensitization.
Selective removal of alleyway paper flooring or air to assess locus of nonreward odor

The locus of conspecific odors arising from nonrewarded trials administered to rats in a straight alleyway was examined by selectively removing odors from the alley air or paper flooring. Response patterning (discrimination) established with odors undisturbed on nonrewarded trials but removed from both the paper and the air on rewarded trials was diminished, but not eliminated, by removal of odors from either the paper or the air on nonrewarded trials. These data suggest that nonreward odor is present both on the paper and in the air. Additional manipulations designed to shed light on the role of odors present following both rewarded and nonrewarded trials indicate that, although odors arising from both rewarded and nonrewarded conspecifics can control patterned responding in this task, nonreward odor may exercise the greater control. This greater control by “nonreward odor” would seem to arise from its greater salience, as inferred from using magnitude of response patterning as an index of psychological similarity.
Origins of the voltammetric response of bilayer membranes modified with strong electron acceptors

Abstract The electrical properties of bilayer lipid membranes modified with strong electron acceptors are examined by the voltammetric method. Diffusion-limited current-potential curves are obtained in the absence of exogenous redox agents in the aqueous phase when the membrane is modified with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) or tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). Other substituted 1,4-benzoquinone modifiers yield either no response (chloranil) or a current-voltage response indicative of a membrane limiting charge transfer step. In all cases that demonstrate an eletrical response, material can be detected leaching into the aqueous phase by spectroscopic means. Free radicals are detected subsequent to the mixing of modifier with an organic phase containing lipid; however, the material detected in the aqueous phase is not a radical. Voltammetric experiments on BLMs modified with charge transfer complexes of these electron acceptors elicits kinetic changes that suggest the membrane is behaving as a barrier to ion transport. Nernst plots at pH 5.5 and 7.5 demonstrate that the charge on the carrier varies with pH and thus these data indicate that the charge carrier responsible for these voltammograms is an ion traversing the membrane interface.
Deportation of trophoblastic emboli to maternal lung: A source of cell-free DNA in maternal blood?

During human pregnancy there is a continuous transport of numerous syncytiotrophoblastic cells from the intervillous space of the placenta into the maternal lung. There these cells undergo apoptosis and the fetal nuclear DNA is liberated within the pulmonary capillaries to become cffDNA in the maternal serum. We have examined the sections of lungs of 11 pregnant women (from 8 weeks to term gestation) who had come to the Medical Examiner's Offices after their traumatic demise. We then identified the deported, embolized trophoblastic cells in pulmonary capillaries and showed them to contain hCG immunohistochemically and we also determined their apoptotic profiles.
Young children's understandings of cigarette smoking

Aims We explore young ciiildren's attitudes toward, beilefs about, and iifestyle associations witii cigarette smoking using direct and indirect measures. Design, setting and participants Second (r7 = 100) and flftii grade (n=141) eiementary school students (i.e. 7-8 and 10-11-year-oids) were excused Irom ciass and individuaiiy interviewed. Methods Participants seiected pictures in response to the questions: who would iiice to smoke cigarettes the most and who would liice to smoke cigarettes the least.' Their picture choices were probed using open-ended prompts designed to elicit the beiiefs and life-styie associations underlying their choices. Survey-based measures of attitudes and beliefs were also coiiected. Findings Second graders reported iife-style associations with cigarette smoicing that were consistent with those of fifth graders. Whiie their associations with smoking are generally negative, children appear to perceive that others feei that smoking makes them look cool and feel cool and also helps them to lit in. i3y fifth grade, many children believe that smoking can help to reduce stress and alleviate negative mood states. The presence of a smoker in the household does not appear to affect these associations, suggesting that they may be being shaped by external socialization agents. Conclusion Young children appear to be developing understandings of cigarette smoking that go beyond knowing that cigarettes are products thai; are smoked. As some of their perceptions appear likely to predispose them for future experimentation, young children need to be included in prevention research so that age-appropriate interventions can be developed.
International and Domestic Challenges to Comprehensive National Cybersecurity: A Case Study of the Czech Republic

While many countries and companies have fallen victim to cyber attacks over the past few years, including American companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook, Czech websites remained relatively safe until March 2013, when they were interrupted by a series of cyber attacks. Even though the origin of the attacks remains debatable, this case study demonstrates the importance of cooperation between nations in the nascent phase of the internet development and their more powerful allies. Domestic challenges that nations face in addressing cybersecurity in an effective and comprehensive manner include ambiguous legislation, recalcitrant officials, and a lack of both fiscal and human capital. To address these challenges, nations should cooperate with their more capable allies, such as the EU and NATO, create better cyber protective measures, train and hire qualified specialists in the public sector, and intensify private-public partnership. Until an international agenda on cyberspace is set, these nations with limited resources should cooperate with developed nations lest they risk more severe attacks in the future. This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol7/iss1/7
Spermatid-specific promoter of the SP-10 gene functions as an insulator in somatic cells

Spermatid differentiation markers such as the acrosomal protein SP-10 display remarkable testis- and germ cell-restricted gene expression. However, little is known about the mechanisms that prevent their expression in somatic tissues. We have previously noted that the -408/+28 or the -266/+28 promoter of SP-10 directed strictly spermatid-specific transcription in transgenic mice, Biol. Reprod. 61, 1256-1266). Lack of ectopic expression in these mouse lines implied that the SP-10 promoter might have protected the transgene from the influence of neighboring enhancers. The present study tested this directly by performing enhancer-blocking assays. In transiently transfected COS cells, the -408/-92 SP-10 promoter, but not stuffer DNA, blocked the transcriptional activity of a heterologous enhancer (CMV) in a position- and orientation-dependent manner. In transgenic mice, despite integration adjacent to the pan-active CMV enhancer, the -408/+28 promoter maintained spermatid-specificity and no ectopic expression of the transgene resulted. Enhancer blocking is a characteristic feature of insulators. Our results show that the SP-10 proximal promoter, which activates transcription in spermatids, functions as an insulator in somatic cells. Insulator activity mapped to the -186/-135 region and mutation of two ACACAC motifs compromised the insulator function. In conclusion, the evolutionarily conserved SP-10 insulator is novel and is the first one shown to regulate transcription of a germ cell differentiation marker.
Multiple repetitions reveal functionally and anatomically distinct patterns of hippocampal activity during continuous recognition memory.

We used a continuous recognition procedure that included multiple presentations of test items, along with high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to investigate the relationship between item novelty and recognition-related activity in the medial temporal lobe (MTL). In several regions of hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, activity elicited by new items exceeded that for old items, whereas no MTL regions exhibited greater activity for old items. Critically, anatomically-distinct regions of MTL were engaged by item novelty in two different ways, as evidenced by statistically-dissociable profiles of activity. In bilateral medial hippocampus and left posterior parahippocampal cortex, activity followed a categorical profile in which it was greater for new than old items but did not differ further with additional presentations of old items. By contrast, effects in adjacent regions of right lateral hippocampus and left parahippocampal cortex were graded, whereby activity declined linearly with respect to each successive item presentation. These findings suggest that the relationship between hippocampal (and parahippocampal) activity and continuous psychological dimensions, such as item novelty, cannot be captured by a unitary function.
A philosophical examination of coercion for mental health issues

This article considers two philosophical questions about coercion and mental disorders: (1) an analytical question, i.e., what is meant by the concept of coercion? (2) a normative question, i.e., what justifies the use of coercion? The article distinguishes between coercion from other forms of power such as inducement, persuasion, and authority. It then considers a range of arguments for the paternalistic use of coercion for the benefit of mentally disordered persons and the use of coercion to restrain mentally disordered dangerous persons. This article rests on the assumption that there is something to be said for an academic division of labour, that empirical research in mental health and the law can benefit from conceptual clarification and the analysis of normative arguments. In this article I distinguish between two importantly different sorts of questions that we can ask about coercion and then offer some answers to those questions in broad strokes.
Arithmêtikê stoicheiôsis: On diophantus and hero of Alexandria

Two ancient mathematical works, cited in ancient sources as the “Preliminaries to the Arithmetic Elements” and the “Preliminaries to the Geometric Elements”—of which the former is no longer extant, while the latter is an alternative designation of the Definitions , now commonly attributed to Hero of Alexandria—are here argued to be companion works by the same author, namely Diophantus of Alexandria. This attribution has implications for the dating of Diophantus.
Surface Components of Streptococcus pneumoniae

This paper briefly summarizes some morphological, biochemical, and physiological features of the pneumococcal cell wall and plasma membrane that may have a bearing on the interactions between a pneumococcal pathogen and components of an invaded host. Although the most extensively studied aspects of these interactions involve the capsular polysaccharides, recent evidence indicates that the "deeper" layers of the cell envelope also can participate in important events of pathogenesis. Emphasis is placed on information that may be useful to colleagues interested in further probing and identifying components of the pneumococcal cell surface that take part in the complex process of pathogenesis of pneumococcal disease.