cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blood and Tissue Concentrations of Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs in Post Mortem Cases: Literature Survey and a Study of Forty Deaths

Blood, urine, heart, liver, and psoas muscle concentrations of tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) drugs and their N-desmethyl metabolites were determined in forty medical examiner cases. The cases were evaluated for the role played by the TCA drugs in the cause of death and compared to a literature survey of previously reported cases. The incidence of the various individual TCA drugs as a factor and the significance of the disposition of the drugs and their metabolites is included. Comparing TCA drug concentrations in the heart and skeletal muscle and considering the differences in perfusion to these organs, TCA drugs and metabolites showed an affinity for the cardiac over the skeletal muscle. The case results were correlated with experimental studies to suggest the relationships of blood concentrations with toxicity.
In situ fine tuning of bendable soft x-ray mirrors using a lateral shearing interferometer

Abstract Broadly applicable, in situ at-wavelength metrology methods for x-ray optics are currently under development at the Advanced Light Source. We demonstrate the use of quantitative wavefront feedback from a lateral shearing interferometer for the suppression of aberrations. With the high sensitivity provided by the interferometer we were able to optimally tune the bending couples of a single elliptical mirror (NA=2.7 mrad) in order to focus a beam of soft x-rays (1.24 keV) to a nearly diffraction-limited beam waist size of 156 ( ± 10 ) nm .
Interactive exploration of coherent patterns in time-series gene expression data

Discovering coherent gene expression patterns in time-series gene expression data is an important task in bioinformatics research and biomedical applications. In this paper, we propose an interactive exploration framework for mining coherent expression patterns in time-series gene expression data. We develop a novel tool, coherent pattern index graph, to give users highly confident indications of the existences of coherent patterns. To derive a coherent pattern index graph, we devise an attraction tree structure to record the genes in the data set and summarize the information needed for the interactive exploration. We present fast and scalable algorithms to construct attraction trees and coherent pattern index graphs from gene expression data sets. We conduct an extensive performance study on some real data sets to verify our design. The experimental results strongly show that our approach is more effective than the state-of-the-art methods in mining real gene expression data, and is scalable in mining large data sets.
Improving remotely sensed fused ocean data products through cross-sensor calibration

Standard oceanographic processing of the visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS) and the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data uses established atmospheric correction approaches to generate normalized water-leaving radiances ( nLw ) and bio-optical products. In many cases, there are minimal differences between temporally and spatially coincident MODIS and VIIRS bio-optical products. However, due to factors such as atmospheric effects, sensor, and solar geometry differences, there are cases where the sensors’ derived products do not compare favorably. When these cases occur, selected nLw values from one sensor can be used to vicariously calibrate the other sensor. Coincident VIIRS and MODIS scenes were used to test this cross-sensor calibration method. The VIIRS sensor was selected as the “base” sensor providing “synthetic” in situ nLw data for vicarious calibration, which computed new sensor gain factors used to reprocess the coincident MODIS scene. This reduced the differences between the VIIRS and MODIS bio-optical measurement. Chlorophyll products from standard and cross-sensor calibrated MODIS scenes were fused with the VIIRS chlorophyll product to demonstrate the ability for this cross-sensor calibration and product fusion method to remove atmospheric and cloud features. This cross-sensor calibration method can be extended to other current and future sensors.
Civitas Sibi Faciat Civem : Bartolus of Sassoferrato's Doctrine on the Making of a Citizen

ARCHIVES in Italy are replete with municipal statutes enacted during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, which granted citizenship (civilitas, cittadinanza) to thousands of individuals, their families and their male descendants. Investigations on citizenship-legislation in Siena, Perugia and Florence have demonstrated how the legal definition of citizenship differed from city to city, how different forms of citizenship could exist side by side in a single city, and how these forms were undergoing a gradual amalgamation in the trecento.1 These complexities, combined with the fact that the state of research on this subject is still in its infancy, prevent us from reducing the historical development of citizenship in Italian cities to a few exact models.2 Nonetheless a general pattern of what one may call the making of a citizen has begun to emerge. For the most part, the origins of new citizens can be traced back to the contado, castellanies, and communities subject to the imperium of the city. Sometimes
Proton space charge in anodic oxide films

Abstract The capacitance of anodic oxide films on niobium, tantalum, tungsten, titanium and antimony depends strongly on the electrical potential difference across the film during the measurement. With decreasing applied potential the capacitance of the thinner oxide films increases sharply and may reach values of about 100 μF/cm 2 . The capacitance of films formed on aluminum, beryllium, gallium, zirconium, bismuth and silicon is independent of potential. It is shown that the capacitance increase results from a proton space charge within the film. A quantitative theory is in reasonable agreement with the experimental information.
High failure rate associated with long‐term follow‐up of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation followed by radical prostatectomy for stage C prostatic cancer

Objective To evaluate whether neoadjuvant androgen deprivation before radical prostatectomy decreases tumour stage in patients with stage C prostatic cancer and to estimate the efficacy of cancer control achieved with this form of treatment. Patients and methods Thirty men (mean age 65 years, range 52-74) with clinical stage C adenocarcinoma of the prostate were included in a phase II trial of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist and an anti-androgen) before radical prostatectomy. The timing and extent of the changes in serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and both prostate and cancer volume were recorded. Twenty-six men underwent radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy, two had pelvic lymphadenectomy alone, one had pelvic lymphadenectomy with radiotherapy and one refused additional treatment despite significant reductions in tumour volume and PSA while undergoing androgen deprivation. Results The toxicity of the treatment was low. Significant reductions in prostatic volume (mean 35%), tumour volume (mean 50%) and PSA concentrations (mean 96%) occurred in all patients, with the maximum reductions recorded during the first 2 months of androgen deprivation. However, despite significant physiological changes in prostate and tumour volume, tumour stage was reduced in only four patients. Of the patients who were surgically staged 41% were ultimately identified as having more advanced disease, including lymph node metastases in 21%. Overall, with a mean follow-up of 32.7 months, 72% of patients had evidence of disease recurrence, including detectable PSA. Of 26 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, local recurrence occurred in five (19%), distant recurrence in one (4%) and both local and distant recurrence in one (4%). Conclusions This study suggests that tumour stage reduction is uncommon in patients with stage C prostatic cancer treated with neoadjuvant androgen deprivation followed by radical prostatectomy, Furthermore, local and distant recurrences, as well as detectable levels of PSA, are common after such treatment.
Practical considerations for the use of pollen δ13C value as a paleoclimate indicator

RATIONALE Workers have shown a correlation between temperature and the pollen δ13C value, and therefore suggested using pollen δ13C values to reconstruct paleotemperature. To evaluate the potential for pollen δ13C values to be used as a paleotemperature proxy, it is essential to quantify the variability in pollen δ13C values and to evaluate the effect of temperature on pollen δ13C values, in isolation, under controlled environmental conditions. METHODS Pollen was isolated from 146 Hibiscus flowers from 26 plants within a single climate environment to evaluate isotopic variability in pollen δ13C values. The nearest leaf (n = 82) and flower phloem (n = 30) were also sampled to measure the δ13C variability in carbon providing the raw material for new growth. To evaluate the correlation between temperature and pollen δ13C values, we isolated pollen from 89 Brassica rapa plants grown in controlled growth chambers with temperatures ranging from 17 to 32°C. RESULTS The range in pollen δ13C values collected from different flowers on the same Hibiscus plant was large (average = 1.6‰), and could be as much as 3.2‰. This amount of variability was similar to that seen between flower-adjacent leaves, and phloem extracted from styles of individual flowers. In controlled growth chamber experiments, we saw no correlation between temperature and the pollen (R2 = 0.005) or leaf (R2 = 0.10) δ13C values. CONCLUSIONS We measured large variability in pollen δ13C values. When temperature was isolated from other environmental parameters, temperature did not correlate with the pollen δ13C value. These results complicate the supposed relationship between temperature and pollen δ13C values and caution against using nanogram isotope analytical techniques for characterizing whole-plant individuals. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and analysis of a traffic rate controller

We have designed a proportional and integral rate (PIR) controller, which is based on the continuous-time fluid flow control theory, to solve both of the congestion control performance problems observed in RED, i.e. the unnecessary packet loss and the queue size oscillation in the router. In this paper, we prove the controller's stability by the second method of Lyapunov's stability theorem.
A flexible transaction model for software engineering

It is generally recognized that the classical transaction model, providing atomicity and serializability, is too strong for certain application areas since it unnecessarily restricts concurrency. The author is concerned with supporting cooperative work in multiuser design environments, particularly teams of programmers cooperating to develop and maintain software systems. An extended transaction model that meets the special requirements of software engineering projects is presented, possible implementation techniques are described, and a number of issues regarding the incorporation of such a model into multiuser software development environments are discussed. >
Study of chirp-free operation for guide/antiguide modulator

A method of achieving chirp-free operation of a field-induced guide/antiguide intensity modulator is reported. Both measured and calculated data for chirp-free operation are demonstrated for a 1.15- mu m wavelength. In a push-pull mode of operation, the index in the guide and antiguide regions of the modulator change in opposing directions, which can be adjusted such that the resulting phase shift contributions to the guided mode cancel each other, resulting in zero net mode phase shift. >
Characterization of a Viral Synergism in the Monocot Brachypodium distachyon Reveals Distinctly Altered Host Molecular Processes Associated with Disease

Panicum mosaic virus (PMV) and its satellite virus (SPMV) together infect several small grain crops, biofuel, and forage and turf grasses. Here, we establish the emerging monocot model Brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon) as an alternate host to study PMV- and SPMV-host interactions and viral synergism. Infection of Brachypodium with PMV+SPMV induced chlorosis and necrosis of leaves, reduced seed set, caused stunting, and lowered biomass, more than PMV alone. Toward gaining a molecular understanding of PMV- and SPMV-affected host processes, we used a custom-designed microarray and analyzed global changes in gene expression of PMV- and PMV+SPMV-infected plants. PMV infection by itself modulated expression of putative genes functioning in carbon metabolism, photosynthesis, metabolite transport, protein modification, cell wall remodeling, and cell death. Many of these genes were additively altered in a coinfection with PMV+SPMV and correlated to the exacerbated symptoms of PMV+SPMV coinfected plants. PMV+SPMV coinfection also uniquely altered expression of certain genes, including transcription and splicing factors. Among the host defenses commonly affected in PMV and PMV+SPMV coinfections, expression of an antiviral RNA silencing component, SILENCING DEFECTIVE3, was suppressed. Several salicylic acid signaling components, such as pathogenesis-related genes and WRKY transcription factors, were up-regulated. By contrast, several genes in jasmonic acid and ethylene responses were down-regulated. Strikingly, numerous protein kinases, including several classes of receptor-like kinases, were misexpressed. Taken together, our results identified distinctly altered immune responses in monocot antiviral defenses and provide insights into monocot viral synergism.
When the President Speaks . . .: An Analysis of Presidential Influence Over Public Opinion Concerning the War on Drugs

The theory of presidential influence over public opinion is used to predict the impact of presidential rhetoric on the public’s concern regarding drug use as “the most important problem (MIP) facin...
Time-Varying Smoothing for Proportional Navigation

Variable smoothing in proportional navigation is implemented by modern homing guidance with time-varying state estimation followed by time-varying control. This system is examined by the techniques associated with classical homing guidance, normalized adjoints and idealized trajectory responses.
Effectiveness of advanced and authenticated packet marking scheme for traceback of denial of service attacks

Advanced and authenticated packet marking (AAPM) [Song, D.X. et al., (2001)] scheme is one of the proposed packet marking schemes for the traceback of denial of service (DoS) attacks. AAPM uses hash functions to reduce the storage space requirement for encoding of router information in the IP header. In this paper we take the perspective of the attacker and analyze the effects of inserting fake edges against AAPM. Since the AAPM scheme is subject to spoofing of the marking field, by inserting fake edges (corrupting the marking field) in the packets the attacker can impede traceback. In this paper, we show that the attacker can increase this distance by inserting fake edges in packets. Therefore, the attacker can make it appear to the victim that the attack was launched from a node farther away than it actually was, thus maintaining his own anonymity.
A tool for the capture and use of process knowledge in process tailoring

Software processes are critical assets of software development organizations. The knowledge about context in which a process is defined and tailored is typically lost during software development activities, making the processes difficult to understand, reuse and evolve. We present a framework that represents the process knowledge used in defining and tailoring a software process. Based on this model, we have developed a prototype tool to support the understanding, reuse and maintenance of this process knowledge.
Neuromuscular function in polio survivors at one-year follow-up

Abstract Many polio survivors complain of progressive loss of strength, work capacity, endurance, and ability to recover from fatiguing activity. These variables were measured initially and one year later in the quadriceps muscles of 28 symptomatic and 16 asymptomatic persons who had polio and 38 control individuals. Peak knee extension torque was measured isokinetically and isometrically. Endurance, or the amount of time the subject could maintain isometric torque at 40% of maximal torque, was measured. Work capacity was determined as the product of isometric torque and endurance time. Recovery of strength was measured at regular intervals for ten minutes after the endurance test. Statistical analysis was done by repeated measures ANOVA. Although the initial measures showed significant deficits in mean peak torque, work capacity, and recovery of strength in symptomatic postpolio subjects, no significant changes were found one year later in any of the variables. We conclude that symptomatic postpolio subjects do not lose significant neuromuscular function in one year.
High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation in People With Prediabetes and Hypovitaminosis D

OBJECTIVE Low vitamin D levels predict the development of diabetes. This double-blind, randomized, control study in subjects with prediabetes and hypovitaminosis D evaluated whether high doses of vitamin D for 1 year affected insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, and the development of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 1,551 subjects ≥40 years of age not known to have diabetes were screened with A1C levels. Subjects with A1C levels of 5.8–6.9% underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Subjects with prediabetes and 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD) levels <30 ng/mL were randomized to receive weekly placebo ( N = 53) or vitamin D ( N = 56) with doses based on body weight and baseline 25-OHD levels. OGTTs were performed 3, 6, 9, and 12 months later. Insulin secretion and sensitivity were measured, and the proportion of subjects developing diabetes was assessed. RESULTS 25-OHD levels rapidly rose from 22 to nearly 70 ng/mL after vitamin D supplementation with a mean weekly dose of 88,865 IU. There were no differences between the placebo and vitamin D groups regarding fasting plasma glucose, 2-h glucose, or insulin secretion and sensitivity or in the percent developing diabetes or returning to normal glucose tolerance. No subjects experienced increased serum or urinary calcium levels. At 12 months, A1C levels were significantly slightly less (0.2%) in the vitamin D group. CONCLUSIONS In individuals with prediabetes and hypovitaminosis D, doses of vitamin D supplementation designed to raise serum 25-OHD levels into the upper-normal range for 1 year had no effect on insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, or the development of diabetes compared with placebo administration.
The Yeast Par-1 Homologs Kin1 and Kin2 Show Genetic and Physical Interactions with Components of the Exocytic Machinery

Kin1 and Kin2 are Saccharomyces cerevisiae counterparts of Par-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans kinase essential for the establishment of polarity in the one cell embryo. Here, we present evidence for a novel link between Kin1, Kin2, and the secretory machinery of the budding yeast. We isolated KIN1 and KIN2 as suppressors of a mutant form of Rho3, a Rho-GTPase acting in polarized trafficking. Genetic analysis suggests that KIN1 and KIN2 act downstream of the Rab-GTPase Sec4, its exchange factor Sec2, and several components of the vesicle tethering complex, the Exocyst. We show that Kin1 and Kin2 physically interact with the t-SNARE Sec9 and the Lgl homologue Sro7, proteins acting at the final stage of exocytosis. Structural analysis of Kin2 reveals that its catalytic activity is essential for its function in the secretory pathway and implicates the conserved 42-amino acid tail at the carboxy terminal of the kinase in autoinhibition. Finally, we find that Kin1 and Kin2 induce phosphorylation of t-SNARE Sec9 in vivo and stimulate its release from the plasma membrane. In summary, we report the finding that yeast Par-1 counterparts are associated with and regulate the function of the exocytic apparatus via phosphorylation of Sec9.
Mobile frequency-hopping CDMA systems

Through analysis and simulation, a unified evaluation of the potential performance of both mobile peer-to-peer and sectorized cellular frequency-hopping code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems is presented. The equivalent number of frequency channels and the minimum area-mean signal-to-noise ratio are defined and shown to be important parameters in understanding and predicting network capacity. The effects of spectral splatter are analyzed. Separated orthogonality is defined and shown to be useful in completely eliminating intracell or intrasector interference. Spatial diversity by postdetection rather than predetection combining is proposed and shown to be invaluable. Noncoherent demodulation by a frequency discriminator rather than parallel matched filters and envelope detectors is proposed and shown to be effective. It is shown that even without exploiting either its natural bandwidth advantage or power control, frequency-hopping CDMA provides a reverse-link capacity nearly the same as direct-sequence CDMA with realistic power-control imperfections.
Genetic Analysis of the Influence of Neuroantigen-Complete Freund's Adjuvant Emulsion Structures on the Sexual Dimorphism and Susceptibility to Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis

The induction of organ-specific autoimmune diseases, such as experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) the principal animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), relies on the use of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) emulsions. In this study we report that the physical structure of the particles comprising neuroantigen-CFA emulsions significantly influences the genetic control of the incidence and sexual dimorphism seen in EAE. Immunization of (B10.S/SgMcdJ × SJL/J) F2 mice segregating the quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling EAE in susceptible SJL/J and resistant B10.S/SgMcdJ mice with emulsions consisting of particles where the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and neuroantigens are localized on the phase surfaces led to severe EAE in 98.8% of the mice, overriding all sex-specific and non-sex-specific genetic checkpoints. In contrast, F2 mice immunized with emulsions where the bacterial products and encephalitogens are buried inside the water/oil vesicles exhibited a significant reduction in disease incidence (7.5%) and a sexual dimorphism (5% male versus 10% female). A genome scan identified QTL on chromosomes 7 and 11 controlling the sexual dimorphism as a function of the physical structure of the emulsion. The chromosome 11 QTL co-localizes with eae6b, and with Il12b and heptatitis A virus cellular receptor 2 (Havcr2, formerly known as Timd3), both of which are candidate genes for this QTL. Sequence analysis of the SJL/J and B10.S/SgMcdJ alleles indicates that both gene products are structurally monomorphic. Expression analysis also excluded both as candidates for this sex-specific QTL. These results reinforce the importance of gene-environment interactions in initiating and propagating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, particularly in the context of susceptibility to MS and disease heterogeneity.
Cyclooxygenase in the Kidney and Oxidative Stress

The kidney is a rich source of prostanoids (prostaglandins and thromboxane). In addition to high levels of expression of the constitutive rate-limiting enzyme responsible for prostanoid production, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), the inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase, COX-2, is also constitutively expressed in the kidney and is highly regulated in response to alterations in intravascular volume. COX metabolites have been shown to exert important physiologic functions in maintenance of renal blood flow, mediation of renin release, and regulation of sodium excretion. In addition to physiologic regulation of COX expression in the kidney, increases in COX expression are also seen in a variety of inflammatory renal injuries, and COX metabolites may serve as mediators of inflammatory injury in renal disease. A common factor in many forms of renal disease is increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and prostanoids have been shown to modulate ROS in various renal diseases. In addition, increased cyclooxygenase activity may itself serve as a source of free radical production.
Variable-Length Word Encodings for Neural Translation Models

Recent work in neural machine translation has shown promising performance, but the most eective architectures do not scale naturally to large vocabulary sizes. We propose and compare three variable-length encoding schemes that represent a large vocabulary corpus using a much smaller vocabulary with no loss in information. Common words are unaected by our encoding, but rare words are encoded using a sequence of two pseudo-words. Our method is simple and eective: it requires no complete dictionaries, learning procedures, increased training time, changes to the model, or new parameters. Compared to a baseline that replaces all rare words with an unknown word symbol, our best variable-length encoding strategy improves WMT English-French translation performance by up to 1.7 BLEU.
The Voting Rights Act at 50 and the Section on Election Law at Birth: A Perspective

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the scholarly community has been fretting over the statute's possible demise. Two years after Shelby County v. Holder, many voting rights scholars are still up in arms about the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision that rendered Section 5 of the VRA a dead letter. Section 5 had previously required covered jurisdictions to obtain federal preclearance before implementing any changes to their voting practices or procedures. But in Shelby County, the Court held that the coverage formula of Section 4, which determined which states and local governments were subject to preclearance based on their histories of discrimination in voting, was unconstitutional. That rendered Section 5 obsolete.In the wake of Shelby County, voting rights scholars have scrambled to understand the Court’s opinion and to craft a response. Some scholars saw Shelby County as a deeply destabilizing decision that implicated longstanding federalism and separations of powers doctrines, with negative effects on matters of race and voting. Others attacked the reasoning on which Shelby County was based, especially Chief Justice John Roberts’s argument that there is a “fundamental tradition of equal sovereignty” among the states which preclearance violated, and his assertion that the coverage formula was not congruent with proven voting rights violations. Today, most scholars acknowledge that the prospects for adopting a renewed Voting Rights Act are slim, not least because the realignment of the Republican majority in Congress is less receptive to the VRA than the Republicans were a decade ago. Thus, the attention of election law scholars and voting rights advocates has shifted — to laying the groundwork for a possible future Congress to update the coverage formula of Section 4; to focusing on Section 2 as an alternative vehicle under which voting rights litigation can be brought; and to devising other methods to encourage greater participation in our elections by racial and ethnic minorities.As the scholarly community has become more devoted to addressing the barriers to voting and to salvaging what remains of the Voting Rights Act, its efforts have been bolstered by the creation of the new Section on Election Law within the Association of American Law Schools, the umbrella organization that governs legal academics in the United States. This is a reply to three papers that were presented at the first-ever meeting of this new Section, which took place in Washington, D.C., on January 4, 2015. It tries to take stock of where we stand regarding the future of the Voting Rights Act and also provides a history of the creation of the Section on Election Law itself.
Measuring the Family Farm

T HERE are many different concepts of the family farm, reflecting lack of agreement as to the fundamental nature of this institution. Likewise, there are wide differences of opinion with respect to the desirability of encouraging, through government programs, all kinds of family farms or only those having certain characteristics. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss some of the general concepts of the family farm, together with some of the current definitions used to describe particular kinds of family farms. Finally, an attempt will be made to frame some improved definitions. Concepts of the family farm may be grouped into 2 classes, functional and purposive. The functional concepts are intended to describe the fundamental ways in which farming on family farms differs from other kinds of farming. The purposive concepts are meant to describe the kind of farm that will advance certain desired ends, such as adequate income, continuity of tenure, or employment of family labor.
Short-Lived Isomers of As 75 and As 77

Sources of ${\mathrm{Se}}^{75}$ and ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{77}$ have been investigated by delayed-coincidence techniques for short-lived isomeric levels in the daughter nuclei ${\mathrm{As}}^{75}$ and ${\mathrm{As}}^{77}$, respectively. The 0.305-Mev level of ${\mathrm{As}}^{75}$ has a half-life of 17 milliseconds and is depopulated by a 0.025-Mev $M2$ transition (90%) in competition with a 0.305-Mev $E3$ transition (10%). The 0.475-Mev level of ${\mathrm{As}}^{77}$ has a half-life of 116 microseconds and is depopulated by a 0.210-Mev $M2$ transition. An upper limit of 2% of the isomeric decays was placed on the intensity of any possible 0.475-Mev ground-state transition. In the beta decay of ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{77}$ to ${\mathrm{As}}^{77}$, gamma rays of the following energies were found to feed the metastable state: 0.153, 0.709, 1.08, and 1.50 Mev and probably also 0.92 and 1.96 Mev. The data obtained have been incorporated in a recently proposed decay scheme of ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{77}$. The previously discovered isomeric transition in ${\mathrm{As}}^{73}$, as well as those in ${\mathrm{As}}^{75}$ and ${\mathrm{As}}^{77}$, are probably all $M2$ transitions between $\frac{9}{2}+$ and $\frac{5}{2}\ensuremath{-}$ levels, with transition probabilities of 0.9, 1, and 0.6%, respectively, of the shell-model single proton transition probability.
Mortality Patterns in Late Life

This chapter focuses on mortality patterns among individuals aged 65 and above. We draw primarily from literature and data from the United States, with limited international comparisons. Our chapter includes five sections. First, we provide a brief overview of major themes and debates in this area of study. Second, we describe key data sets and methods that are used to study older adult mortality patterns. Third, we present current older adult mortality patterns in the United States by age, sex and cause of death, with limited comparisons made to data drawn from previous periods and from other countries. Fourth, we provide an overview of racial/ethnic and educational differences in older adult mortality in the United States. Finally, we conclude with a summary of the most important patterns, discuss limitations of current data sets and methods and suggest topics for continuing research in this important and exciting area of study.
Effect of sternoclavicular joint mobilization on pain and function in a patient with massive supraspinatus tear

Massive irreparable rotator cuff tears can be difficult to treat conservatively, especially when the patient has multiple comorbidities. Although there is evidence to support interventions aimed at the spine, there is paucity in the literature describing interventions to the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) in individuals with rotator cuff pathology. A 57-year-old female with multiple comorbidities and a body mass index of 59 was referred to physical therapy with a 4-month history of right shoulder pain, significant functional limitations, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), demonstrating a full-thickness supraspinatus tear. She presented initially with active shoulder flexion range of motion (ROM) 0-80°, numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) 7/10, and QuickDASH 65.9%. After six physical therapy sessions, the patient had plateaued with improvements in pain and ROM. SCJ mobilizations at visit 7 immediately improved pain, active ROM, and subjective reports of function. The patient was discharged after 13 visits with increased active shoulder flexion ROM to 0-170°, NPRS 1/10, QuickDASH 31.8%, and Global Rating of Change (GROC) +5. This case highlights the successful conservative treatment of an individual with an irreparable rotator cuff tear and numerous comorbidities by using a multimodal approach including SCJ mobilizations.
Microfluidic bubbler facilitates near complete mass transfer for sustainable multiphase and microbial processing.

A microfluidic device (channels <70 μm) was utilized to create micro-scale bubbles to significantly increase mass transfer efficiency at low flow rates. The convergence of one gas and two liquid channels at a Y-junction generates bubbles via cyclic changes in pressure. At low flow rates, the bubbles had an average diameter of 110 μm, corresponding to a volumetric mass transfer KL a of 1.43 h(-1) . Values of KL a normalized per flow rate showed that the microbubbler had a 100-fold increased transfer efficiency compared to four other commonly used bubblers. The calculated percentage of oxygen transferred was approximately 90%, which was consistent with a separate off-gas analysis. The improved mass transfer was also tested in an algae bioreactor in which the microbubbler absorbed approximately 90% of the CO2 feed compared to 2% in the culture with an alternative needle bubbling method. The microbubbler yielded a cell density 82% of the cell density for the alternative needle tip with an 800-fold lower flow rate (0.5 mL/min versus 400 mL/min) and a 700-fold higher ratio of biomass to fed carbon dioxide. The application of microfluidics may transform interfacial processing in order to increase mass transfer efficiencies, minimize gas feeding, and provide for more sustainable multiphase processes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1924-1933. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Phase Cancellation in Backscatter-Based Tag-to-Tag Communication Systems

In this paper, we investigate a unique phase cancellation problem that occurs in backscatter-based tag-to-tag (BBTT) communication systems. These are systems wherein two or more radio-less devices (tags) communicate with each other purely by reflecting (backscattering) an external signal (whether ambient or intentionally generated). A transmitting tag modulates baseband information onto the reflected signal using backscatter modulation. At the receiving tag, the backscattered signal is superimposed to the external excitation and the resulting signal is demodulated using envelope detection techniques. The relative phase difference between the backscatter signal and the external excitation signal at the receiving tag has a large impact on the envelope of the resulting signal. This often causes a complete cancellation of the baseband information contained in the envelope, and it results in a loss of communication between the two tags. This problem is ubiquitous in all BBTT systems and greatly impacts the reliability, robustness, and communication range of such systems. We theoretically analyze and experimentally demonstrate this problem for devices that use both ASK and PSK backscattering. We then present a solution to the problem based on the design of a new backscatter modulator for tags that enables multiphase backscattering. We also propose a new combination method that can further enhance the detection performance of BBTT systems. We examine the performance of the proposed techniques through theoretical analysis, computer simulations, and laboratory experiments with a prototype tag that we have developed.
Role of the primary care physician in the diagnosis and management of hepatitis C virus infection.

In the past several years, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has firmly captured the attention of medical providers, the lay public, and governmental health care agencies. Indeed, with an estimated prevalence of 3.9 million persons infected with HCV in the United States (and 2.7 million of these with chronic infection), 1 this viral disease could become the most important infectious disease in this country during the next decade. Given the emerging clinical importance of HCV infection, the findings of Nicklin and colleagues, presented in this issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 2 should raise some eyebrows and generate controversy regarding the role the primary care provider should play in the diagnosis and treatment of persons infected with HCV. The current study was conducted in November 1997, and the final analysis involved 172 community-based internists and family physicians employed in the greater metropolitan Philadelphia area. The investigators used a survey to gather information regarding the current practices of these primary care physicians for diagnosing and treating HCV infection. Seventy percent of the physicians routinely tested alanine transaminase (AL T) levels as part of their complete checkup, and, if the AL T level was elevated, 64% then obtained HCV antibody testing. Once the diagnosis of HCV infection was made, 62% advised using condoms in a monogamous relationship, and 56% recommended abstaining from alcohol, with 44% considering limited alcohol consumption acceptable. If the HCV-infected person had an elevated AL T, 82% recommended liver biopsy and 77% recommended interferon-a therapy. A selected
Poster 410 Treatment of a Lumbar Facet Joint Synovial Cyst Using Fluoroscopic Guided Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection: A Case Report

option. NSAIDs showed mild to severe gastrointestinal complications after a long period of use. 13 about opioids found that tramadol associated with paracetamol (37.5/325 mg) had the same outcome as tramadol alone (50 mg) with fewer side effects. 3 with antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants and dual, showed better results than selective reuptake inhibitors of serotonin. Muscle relaxants were not considered as first-line therapy. Diathermy is not effective over long periods of time without concomitant therapeutic exercise. Also, therapeutic exercise improves low back pain; there is no evidence to support exercise preventing the recurrences of pain. Acupuncture combined with other conservative therapies is more beneficial. Conclusions: Drugs, electrical stimulation, exercise, and physical therapy treatments associated with exercise are options for the treatment of non-specific chronic low back pain. Acupuncture is associated with increased cost for the treatment of non-specific back pain, but it is recommended (10 sessions, two times per week) improving the quality of life with decreased absenteeism. Acupuncture plus routine care, resulted in a clinically relevant benefit and it is cost-effective among patients with low back pain.
The case against removal: Jus noci and harm in deportation practice

The United States removes from its territory almost 400,000 noncitizens annually— Germany removes about 50,000 people each year, France 26,000, and Canada 12,000. In this article, we focus on the impact of removal, and we argue that many individuals—often those who are best integrated in their countries of long-term residence— will suffer significant physical, psychological, economic, and social harm upon their return. Democratic states have normative reasons for taking the harm of deportation into consideration, and we also find qualified support for this position in existing refugee and immigration law. In response, we articulate jus noci as a normative principle for harm avoidance in deportation practice. According to jus noci, democratic states must take into consideration the expected harmful effects of territorial removal and refrain from deporting individuals whose removal is, all other things being equal, likely to impose significant harm.
Rehabilitating the stroke patient at general hospitals.

A stroke team, coordinated by a physician and comprising a rehabilitation nurse and other allied medical personnel, is the most important therapeutic tool for disabled stroke patients. The natural focus for such a team is the general hospital, where most of the necessary personnel reside. Rehabilitation deals more with the disruptive aftermath of disability affecting the life patterns of patient and family than merely with optimizing physical restitution.
Contactless detection of multi-point grounding in CT secondary circuit

Since the multi-point grounding in the secondary circuit of CT(Current Transformer) may cause the misoperation of relay protections,a detection method without any contact is proposed for it,which exerts the varying magnetic field on the secondary-circuit of CT and detects the induced current. If multi-point grounding exists,the induced current will be detected in the neutral line between two grounding points,and the larger the current is,the more obviously the multi-point grounding exists. An auxiliary frequency criterion is proposed to prevent the misoperation of relay protections caused by the large inductive current.Experimental results verify the correctness of the proposed method.
Impact of Fungicide Program and Powdery Mildew Resistance in Three Varieties of Pumpkin

The effects of fungicide program and varietal resistance on the development of cucurbit powdery mildew [PM (Podosphaera xanthii)] in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) were tested in 2009 and 2010 in Lexington, KY. Three fungicide programs consisted of a no-fungicide control, low input (chlorothalonil), and high input (chlorothalonil alternated with myclobutanil) were applied to three varieties of pumpkin with different levels of cucurbit PM resistance. Varieties tested were Howden, Aladdin, and Camaro, which had no, moderate, and high levels of cucurbit PM resistance, respectively. There were no significant variety by fungicide program interactions for yield, number fruit per acre, and average fruit weight in both years. In 2009 and 2010, variety significantly affected yield. Yield increases corresponded to the level of cucurbit PM resistance. The high-resistance variety, Camaro, had the greatest yields in both years, while Howden, with no PM resistance, had the lowest yields. In 2010, yield significantly increased with the intensity of fungicide program. With the exception of cull percentage in 2009, there were no fungicide program by variety interactions for yield parameters. In both years, PM disease severity, characterized by the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), was lowest on ‘Camaro’ and highest on ‘Howden’. In 2009, unsprayed ‘Camaro’ had similar AUDPC values as ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Howden’ treated with lowor high-input fungicide programs. In 2010, unsprayed ‘Camaro’ had less disease than ‘Aladdin’ or ‘Howden’ that had received the high-intensity fungicide program. These results suggest that yields can be maintained with a minimal fungicide program when using a variety with high cucurbit PM resistant in some environments. A high-input fungicide program may be necessary to maintain yields of varieties with low cucurbit PM resistance.
Approximation of the Classes H p Ω of Periodic Functions of Many Variables in the Space L p

We establish upper estimates for the approximation of the classes H Ω of periodic functions of many variables by polynomials constructed by using the system obtained as the tensor product of the systems of functions of one variable. These results are then used to establish the exact-order estimates of the orthoprojective widths for the classes H Ω in the space L p with p ∈ {1, ∞}.
Platforms, Bits, Punches and Vises: A Potpourri of Mesoamerican Blade Technology

Several unresolved issues of Mesoamerican prismatic blade manufacture concern the bit used in the Aztec pressure tool, the importance of indirect percussion in blade production (Clark 1982:373), an...
Predictors of Acquired Von Willebrand Syndrome in Patients with Aortic Stenosis

Abstract 3318 [][1] Background: Acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) due to loss of high molecular weight multimers (HMWM), is a frequent cause of bleeding in aortic stenosis (AS), and is reversed by valve replacement. The goal of this study was to explore predictors of AVWS in patients with AS. Methods: A total of 91 patients (59 men, median age 79 years) with AS (n=64) or heart valve replacement (n=27) were included. We recorded peripheral blood count, vital signs, mean gradient (MG), peak velocity (peak vel), aortic valve time velocity integral (AV-TVI), aortic valve area (AVA) and valve area index (AVAi), time velocity integral ratio (TVI ratio), VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF activity by latex immunoturbidity assay (VWF:Lx), VWF multimer analysis, closure times of platelet function analyzer ADP and epinephrine cartridges (PFA-CADP and –CEPI). HMWM losses were graded as normal, mild or severe when compared to HMWM analyses of pooled plasma samples from normal donors. Potential predictors of HMWM loss were explored using logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 91 patients, 42 (46%) had loss of HMWM (23 mild and 19 severe). In single variable logistic regression analysis, AVWS was associated with a low AVA ( 4 m/sec) were associated with loss of HMWM (OR[vs. 40 mmHg), (OR [vs. <25mmHg]=4.50 and 32.50 respectively, P<0.001). In exploratory multivariable analysis, mean gradient remained one of the strongest predictor of loss of HMWM. The estimated sensitivity of MG (≥25mmHg) in diagnosing AVWS was 83% (35/42, 95% CI: 69%-93%) and estimated specificity was 71% (35/49, 95% CI: 57%-83%). Considering the very strong correlation with mean gradient, we also considered the diagnostic utility of peak vel. Peak vel≥ 3 m/sec had a sensitivity of 89% (38/42, 95% CI: 77%-97%) and a specificity of 59% (29/49, 95% CI: 44%-73%) in detecting loss of HMWM. Conclusion: Our data suggest that mean gradient (>25 mmHg) and peak vel (≥ 3 m/sec), both derived from the Doppler aortic valve velocity envelope, are accurate predictors for AS-AVWS, and should be incorporated into algorithmic approaches to laboratory screening for AVWS. View this table: Table: Predictors of AS-AVWS (N=91) Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. [1]: #fn-5