cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry — a review☆

Abstract This review focuses on the development of new instruments, and new applications of laser excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry, LEAFS, in recent years since the last published reviews. Such developments include solid-state tunable lasers, deep UV tunable lasers, the use of charge coupled detectors (CCDs), and the applications of LEAFS for trace metal determination in various samples. The advent of diode lasers with their now somewhat improved range of wavelengths and power output, provides opportunities for research and applications in LEAFS. The further development of the coupling of second and third harmonic crystals to pulsed diode lasers shows promise for compact and robust instrumentation. There have been no recent instrumental developments that might provide more isotopic selectivity beyond the elements like uranium where the spectral isotope splitting is greater than most elements, but laser diodes could provide this due to their potential to provide an output with very narrow spectral bandwidth. The advent of optical parametric oscillator-based lasers has enabled LEAFS to be much more practical then in the past when dye lasers were used. This should be the harbinger of more applications of LEAFS to complex real sample analyses that can not be done by other techniques for reasons of sensitivity or selectivity. Array detectors provide an additional degree of freedom by provision of more spectral information more rapidly, which should aid the study of complex samples that might produce complex background problems. The recent literature indicates that the sensitivity, selectivity and ease of method development of LEAFS is well-established, and that there are no substantial analytical disadvantages to the technique beyond the instrumental limitations associated with the single element at a time mode of operation and the complexity of the laser systems. Laser technology continues to develop rapidly, which heralds a bright future for LEAFS.
Ethics, Alterity, and Psychotherapy: A Levinasian Perspective

Current psychologies of religion reflect the modernist context in which they are situated. Religion is reduced to what is researchable, generalizable, individual and “thin.” This essay suggests that a psychology of religion which takes seriously the implications of Emmanuel Levinas’s emphasis on ethics and the alterity of the Other would result in a different model of psychotherapy. Levinas’s view of the Other as the trace of the transcendent radically changes our understanding of the client within the therapeutic relationship. Levinas begins with ethics and so healing would be, by implication, an ethical enterprise. In a highly secularized, individualized, objectivized culture, a therapy which recognizes the sacred, which models how to view the Other as transcendent, and which does not presume to know, is a gift to the client.
Impact of HDL genetic risk scores on coronary artery calcified plaque and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes from the Diabetes Heart Study

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and mortality. Recent studies have assessed the impact of genetic variants affecting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) concentrations on CVD risk in the general population. This study examined the utility of HDL-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for CVD risk prediction in European Americans with T2D enrolled in the Diabetes Heart Study (DHS). Genetic risk scores (GRS) of HDL-associated SNPs were constructed and evaluated for potential associations with mortality and with coronary artery calcified atherosclerotic plaque (CAC), a measure of subclinical CVD strongly associated with CVD events and mortality. Two sets of SNPs were used to construct GRS; while all SNPs were selected primarily for their impacts on HDL, one set of SNPs had pleiotropic effects on other lipid parameters, while the other set lacked effects on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) or triglyceride concentrations. The GRS were specifically associated with HDL concentrations (4.90 × 10-7 < p < 0.02) in models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), but were not associated with LDL or triglycerides. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis suggested the HDL-associated GRS had no impact on risk of CVD-mortality (0.48 < p < 0.99) in models adjusted for other known CVD risk factors. However, associations between several of the GRS and CAC were observed (3.85 × 10-4 < p < 0.03) in models adjusted for other known CVD risk factors. The GRS analyzed in this study provide a tool for assessment of HDL-associated SNPs and their impact on CVD risk in T2D. The observed associations between several of the GRS and CAC suggest a potential role for HDL-associated SNPs on subclinical CVD risk in patients with T2D.
The Politics of Compounding Bubbles: The Global Housing Bubble in Comparative Perspective

This article provides a commentary on the individual pieces in this special issue. It makes a distinction between the macro and micro politics of housing and uses this to investigate the extent to which a new politics of property has emerged across the cases. Evidence for both a shift to the right, as predicted by several of the authors, contrary trends, and a new intergenerational politics of housing is discussed. The analysis of the global housing bubble is itself placed in a broader theoretical context, stressing the links between housing and the prior equities and current commodities bubbles. Finally, a mechanism whereby highly liquid markets and limited asset classes combine to produce compounding and concurrent bubbles is suggested.
Reconstructing XML Subtrees from Relational Storage of XML documents

Numerous researchers have proposed to use relational databases to store and query XML documents. One important component of such systems is the XML subtree reconstruction, which reconstructs the subtrees rooted at the matching nodes of an XML query and returns them to the user as the query result. Existing reconstruction algorithms either do not support recursive XML view schema, or require expensive nested queries or joins of multiple relations. In this paper, we propose an efficient XML subtree reconstruction algorithm, Reconstruct, which overcomes these limitations and uses an efficient stack-based structural join algorithm to recover all the parent-child relationships between elements. One salient advantage of this algorithm is that it employs the inlining feature of the inlining-based storage of XML documents, which is known as one of the best relational XML storage schemes. Both our algorithmic analysis and experimental study show that Reconstruct is efficient and scalable.
Contrasting Evolutionary Forces in the Arabidopsis thaliana Floral Developmental Pathway

The floral developmental pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana is composed of several interacting regulatory genes, including the inflorescence architecture gene TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1), the floral meristem identity genes LEAFY (LFY), APETALA1 (AP1), and CAULIFLOWER (CAL), and the floral organ identity genes APETALA3 (AP3) and PISTILLATA (PI ). Molecular population genetic analyses of these different genes indicate that the coding regions of AP3 and PI, as well as AP1 and CAL, share similar levels and patterns of nucleotide diversity. In contrast, the coding regions of TFL1 and LFY display a significant reduction in nucleotide variation, suggesting that these sequences have been subjected to a recent adaptive sweep. Moreover, the promoter of TFL1, unlike its coding region, displays high levels of diversity organized into two distinct haplogroups that appear to be maintained by selection. These results suggest that patterns of molecular evoution differ among regulatory genes in this developmental pathway, with the earlier acting genes exhibiting evidence of adaptive evolution.
The United States vs. The United Nations

The United States public and government, initially unrealistic in their visions of UN potentialities, have recently been turning toward the extreme of skepticism. There are various reasons for the change: the squabbles over Chinese representation and Rhodesian sanctions, the ever–increasing budgets voted by small powers who apparently pay a disproportionately low share of UN expenses, United States disillusionment at being out–voted by the Afro–Asian bloc, and the latter's insistence that the only really important function of the UN is to end colonialism and racism. Although some of these frictions have been adjusted, others are in danger of flaring into major disagreements, and, in any case, the old easy assumption of permanent US–UN friendship has gone by the board.
Effects of ambient air pollution on functional status in patients with chronic congestive heart failure: a repeated-measures study

Background: Studies using administrative data report a positive association between ambient air pollution and the risk of hospitalization for congestive heart failure (HF). Circulating levels of Btype natriuretic peptide (BNP) are directly associated with cardiac hemodynamics and symptom severity in patients with HF and, therefore, serves as a marker of functional status. We tested the hypothesis that BNP levels would be positively associated with short-term changes in ambient pollution levels among 28 patients with chronic stable HF and impaired systolic function. Methods: BNP was measured in whole blood at 0, 6, and 12 weeks. We used linear mixed models to evaluate the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and black carbon and log(BNP). Lags of 0 to 3 days were considered in separate models. We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient and withinsubject coefficient of variation as measures of reproducibility. Results: We found no association between any pollutant and measures of BNP at any lag. For example, a 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 0.8% (95% CI: -16.4, 21.5; p = 0.94) increase in BNP on the same day. The within-subject coefficient of variation was 45% on the natural scale and 9% on the log scale. Conclusion: These results suggest that serial BNP measurements are unlikely to be useful in a longitudinal study of air pollution-related acute health effects. The magnitude of expected ambient air pollution health effects appears small in relation to the considerable within-person variability in BNP levels in this population.
Molecular beam epitaxy of CdSe x Te 1-x photovoltaic junctions on silicon substrates

The II–VI semiconductor cadmium selenide telluride CdSeTe was grown by MBE on silicon. The large lattice mismatch to the silicon was accommodated in smaller steps using a beryllium telluride - zinc telluride buffer layer. A CdTe film grown on this buffer had about three times narrower x-ray diffraction peak than a CdSe 0.40 Te 0.60 alloy. Photojunction devices were formed into mesa structures with n+Si / p+BeTe p-type bottom contacts and n-type CdSe top emitter layers, with thin (≪1 μm) CdSeTe base layers. The photocurrent of junctions with CdTe base layers was about an order of magnitude greater than those with the CdSe 0.40 Te 0.60 alloy, most likely due to short minority carrier lifetime in the ternary.
Revisiting the influence of the early mother-infant relationship on later development.

This issue of AHD breaks new ground, not only because it is the first ever ‘double-issue’ but, more importantly, because the diverse content charts in novel ways the predictive trajectories of the ...
Pupil noise is a discriminator between narcoleptics and controls

The pupil light reflex has a long history of being able to indicate states of mental arousal, ranging from sleepiness to concentrated cognitive effort. Such mental states have usually been inferred from pupil diameter or pupil area movements relative to some reference; sleepiness, for example, is characterized by a smaller than average pupil while mental effort brings on a slightly larger pupil. But all pupil movements and associated states of arousal are accompanied by a persistent random pupil diameter motion which has previously been attributed to neurological noise, the noise apparently arising in the neurological controller of the pupil reflex control system. The authors' experiments and signal processing methods show that the amplitude of this pupil noise is an indicator of the sleeping disorder narcolepsy. Narcoleptics are found to have diminished pupil noise amplitudes relative to control subjects. Pupil noise is estimated by statistical procedures which yield unbiased noise measures in the form of six-dimensional Gaussian vectors. Each subject is associated with a Gaussian vector which is optimally projected onto a scalar axis so as to maximize the mean square distance between the narcoleptic and control samples. The Kullback-Leibler discrimination function is estimated and then evaluated for each projection as a means of discriminating narcoleptics from controls. The projected noise measures correctly classify 18 out of 20 subjects. The projected values also form the basis for supporting or rejecting a hypothesis of narcoleptic or control class membership. Parametric and nonparametric hypothesis tests suggest that, with probabilities close to one, narcoleptics and controls are distinguishable classes. To emphasize the importance of pupil noise as a diagnostic tool the authors present evidence from the neurophysiology literature indicating that Alzheimer's disease and narcolepsy have some of the same brainstem nuclei implicated. Further, Alzheimer patients and narcoleptics share some of the same disturbed sleep patterns.
Active optimal scanning control in thermal processing of materials

Scan thermal processing, enabled by active guidance of the heat source motion during fabrication, combines the flexibility of sequential methods to the productivity of parallel thermal processes. For cylindrically symmetric parts, this is performed by their rapid revolution under a radially or axially translated torch, with its power modulated so as to implement a specified thermal distribution as it sweeps the product surface, and thus to generate desirable material features. An analytical description of the thermal field, based on superposition of Green's fields, was developed for off-line analysis, as well as a multivariable linearized model with least-squares identification of its varying parameters, for real-time compensation of the process efficiency. This model is embedded in an active thermal control scheme, driving the scanned torch motion and power by a simulated annealing optimization strategy, using temperature feedback from sampled surface locations by an infrared pyrometer. The thermal regulator is validated by computation and experiment and its applicability to other scanned processes is examined.
Ambient laser direct-write printing of a patterned organo-metallic electroluminescent device

Abstract In this work we use laser direct-write (LDW) to fabricate patterned [Ru(dtb-bpy) 3 ] 2+ ( PF 6 - ) 2 electroluminescent devices under ambient processing conditions. Device fabrication is accomplished via laser micromachining of a transparent conducting oxide top electrode, LDW printing the active organo-metallic material, and vapor depositing the bottom electrode. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to ensure the transfer of damage-free luminophore material. Devices tested in air are shown to exhibit emission spectra, luminous efficiencies, and lifetimes similar to literature values for devices fabricated in nitrogen environments. The versatility of laser direct-write printing is then demonstrated by printing multi-color luminophore patterns with diameters down to 10 μm for future use in high-resolution device fabrication. This approach is compatible with large-area organic electronics that require the fabrication of high-resolution architectures.
A versatile system for detecting transposition in Arabidopsis

Summary The maize transposable element Activator (Ac) has been shown to be active in a number of dicots, including Arabidopsis thaliana, whose small genome and short generation time have favored its wide adoption as a model organism for molecular genetic approaches to plant physiology and development. Using the Ac element and several bacterial and plant marker genes, we have devised a versatile system for identifying plants in which a transposon has excised and reinserted elsewhere in the genome. The transposons have been designed to facilitate the identification of insertions downstream of promoters and in the vicinity of enhancers by the inclusion of a p-glucuronidase (GUS) gene either lacking a promoter or having a minimal promoter sequence. The system permits the transposon and the source of transposase to be maintained either stably in separate plants or in the same plant. Plants in which transposition is occurring can be identified by the frequent somatic activation of the GUS gene. The herbicide chlorsulfuron is used as a selective agent to identify progeny plants in which the transposon has excised from its original insertion site within a chlorsulfuron-resistant acetolactate synthase gene. Additional selectable markers permit the identification of plants containing a transposed element, but lacking transposase. Here we describe our initial characterization of the system and demonstrate its reliability and efficiency in identifying plants with transposed elements.
A blind identification approach to digital calibration of analog-to-digital converters for built-in-self-test

A major bottleneck in analog and mixed-signal built-in-self-test (AMBIST) is the difficulty in generating high precision input stimuli that are required in most existing AMBIST schemes. This paper presents a new approach to AMBIST of ADCs using low precision input stimuli. With mild qualitative assumptions on input signals and the model of the ADC, the blind identification algorithms identify both the non-precision part in input signals as well as correction codes for the ADC from the ADC output codes. Initial simulation results show that a 12-bit ADC can be calibrated to achieve INL at the +0.5/-0.5 LSB level from an uncalibrated 25 LSB INL level with input stimuli having only 7-8 bit accuracy.
A 16-bit mixed-signal microsystem with integrated CMOS-MEMS clock reference

In this work, we report on an unprecedented design where digital, analog, and MEMS technologies are combined to realize a general-purpose single-chip CMOS microsystem. The convergence of these technologies has enabled the development of a low power, portable microinstrument ideally suited for controlling environmental and bio-implantable sensors.
Oxidative DNA lesions as blocks to in vitro transcription by phage T7 RNA polymerase.

In recent years, a link between the transcriptional state of damaged DNA and the rate at which it is repaired has been demonstrated in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. DNA containing bulky adducts, cross-links, and UV damage processed by nucleotide excision repair is repaired at a higher rate when it is actively transcribed. For these damages, evidence exists that an RNA polymerase molecule, stalled opposite a lesion, works as a signal to initiate repair, thus linking the two processes. However, no conclusive demonstration exists between base excision repair processing and transcription. Accordingly, we have examined the ability of several oxidative DNA lesions to block in vitro transcription by phage T7 RNA polymerase. Previous and ongoing work in this laboratory suggests that the effect that these lesions have on DNA polymerases is greatly influenced by the sequence context in which they are found. Future work will examine if sequence context regulates the role of these lesions as blocks to transcription.
More Questions Than Answers in ICU Delirium: Pressing Issues for Future Research

With the release of the updated pain, agitation, and delirium guidelines by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, a number of new and updated recommendations are provided regarding the pharmacological prevention and treatment of ICU delirium. Whereas this is important to understand the limitations of existing literature in interpreting the guideline recommendations, it also provides an opportunity to identify those areas of practice where we need further knowledge. We discuss 5 of the most critical questions in our view regarding pharmacological therapy for ICU delirium in an attempt to highlight areas of this ICU condition that are much deserving of further research, including the deliriogenic potential of dexmedetomidine, optimal sedative choices for the delirious ICU patient, pharmacological prophylaxis for ICU delirium, optimal treatment duration for ICU delirium, and the impact of pharmacotherapy on long-term cognitive outcomes in ICU survivors. A multitude of opportunities for further research exis...
Coronary Vascular Development in Response to Increased Right Ventricular Pressure Loads

Pressure loads were applied to the right ventricles of newborn lambs and adult sheep by surgical narrowing of the lumen of the main pulmonary artery. Significant increases in right ventricular weight and in the diameter of the right coronary artery occurred in both age groups of animals, compared with corresponding control animals. The evidence suggests that the degree of increase in the arterial diameters, relative to the increase in ventricular muscle mass, is similar in both newborn and adult animals. However, the results suggest also that the capacity to respond to pressure loads, in terms of increased muscle mass, is relatively greater in the newborn animals than in the adults.
Moving Beyond Satisfaction: Perceived Learning As An Assessment Measure

Demand for assessment is growing. While satisfaction is often used as an outcome measure, it fails to recognize that satisfaction and learning may not be positively correlated. This study takes data originally collected with a focus on satisfaction, and reanalyzes it using student’s perceptions of their learning as the outcome variable. Emphasis is placed on the impact of faculty-controlled or influenced variables on two types of learning. Satisfaction with the quality of faculty and instruction, breadth of curriculum, and class size are studied. All are found to significantly impact student’s perceptions of both types of learning, with satisfaction of class size having the greatest effect.
Multisector partnerships in population health improvement

Many new initiatives for population health improvement feature partnerships of leaders and organizations across multiple sectors of society. The purpose of this article is to review 1) the rationale for such partnerships as an important, if not essential, tool for population health improvement; 2) key organizational and contextual factors that appear to be associated with effective multisector partnerships; and 3) the limited evidence regarding the effect of such partnerships on population health outcomes. We conclude that systems thinking - accounting for the collective effect of many actors and actions - is essential to organizing and sustaining efforts to improve population health, and to evaluating them. More research is needed to understand how and why multisector partnerships are formed and sustained and the conditions under which multisector partnerships are necessary or more effective than other strategies for population health improvement. Research on and evaluation of multisector partnerships also need to incorporate more standard measures of partnership contexts, characteristics, and strategies and adopt longitudinal and prospective designs to accelerate social learning in this area. Finally, studies of multisector partnerships must be alert to the value of such initiatives to individuals and communities apart from any direct and measurable impact on population health.
Comparison of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists and Orchiectomy: Effects of Androgen-Deprivation Therapy

Importance Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) through surgical castration is equally effective as medical castration in controlling prostate cancer (PCa). However, the adverse effect profiles of both ADT groups have never been compared. Objective To provide a comparative effectiveness analysis of the adverse effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) vs bilateral orchiectomy in a homogeneous population. Design, Setting, and Participants A population-based cohort of 3295 men with metastatic PCa between January 1995 and December 2009 66 years or older was selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare-linked database. Exposures Orchiectomy or GnRHa. Main Outcomes and Measures Any fractures, peripheral arterial disease, venous thromboembolism, cardiac-related complications, diabetes mellitus, and cognitive disorders. To minimize treatment group biases, the inverse probability of treatment was weighted using the propensity score. Multivariable competing risk regression models were performed with the adjustment of all-cause mortality. Secondary analyses examined the effect of increasing duration of GnRHa treatment. Multivariable logistic regression models examined expenditures. Results Overall, 3295 men with a primary diagnosis of metastatic PCa treated with GnRHa or orchiectomy were identified between years 1995 and 2009, and in adjusted analyses, patients who received a bilateral orchiectomy had significantly lower risks of experiencing any fractures (hazard ratio [HR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.62-0.94; P = .01), peripheral arterial disease (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.49-0.87; P = .004), and cardiac-related complications (HR, 0.74; 0.58-0.94; P = .01) compared with those treated with GnRHa. No statistically significant difference was noted between orchiectomy and GnRHa for diabetes and cognitive disorders. In individuals treated with GnRHa for 35 months or more, the increased risk for GnRHa compared with orchiectomy was noted for fractures (HR, 1.80), peripheral arterial disease (HR, 2.25), venous thromboembolism (HR, 1.52), cardiac-related complications (HR, 1.69), and diabetes mellitus (HR, 1.88) ( P ≤ .01 for all). At 12 months after PCa diagnosis, the median total expenditures was not significantly different between GnRHa and orchiectomy. Conclusions and Relevance Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy is associated with higher risks of several clinically relevant adverse effects compared with orchiectomy.
Cross-Sectional Determinants of Bank Performance under Deposit Dollarization I

Dollar-denominated deposits constitute a large proportion of deposits in many developing economies. This may result in currency mismatches on banks’ balance sheets as is suggested by recent literature. In general, having dollar-denominated deposits and loans could increase financial fragility, create balance sheet problems and affect bank profitability. In particular, this currency mismatch does not only increase banks’ currency risk when the proportion of dollar-denominated loans with respect to local-denominated loans increases but also it increases their clients’ default risk if depreciation occurs. This paper investigates the profitability of 36 dollarized banking systems. Our results suggest that after controlling for some macroeconomic and institutional variables, dollarization, as currency mismatch hypothesis suggests, depresses bank performance and lowers bank profitability. Moreover, our results show that the effect of institutions more than offset the negative impact of dollarization on banks’ profitability.
Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect in a patient with Noonan syndrome after corrective surgery.

Introduction. Transcatheter atrial septal defect (ASD) closure is considered to be a gold standard for patients with the suitable anatomy as compared to cardiac surgery. Reocurrence of ASD after surgical closure is a very rare late complication which can be successfully managed with transcatheter procedure. Case report. We reported a female patient with Noonan syndrome who presented with hemodinamically significant ASD 37 years after the corrective cardiac surgery. Due to numerous comorbidities which included severe kyphoscoliosis, pectus excavatum and multiple surgeries we decided to perform transcatheter closure of ASD. The procedure itself was very challenging due to the patient’s short stature and heart’s orientation in the chest, but was performed successfully. The subsequent follow-up was uneventful and the patient reported improvement in the symptoms. Conclusion. Transcatheter closure of ASD in a patient with Noonan syndrome with the history of surgically corrected ASD can be performed successfully, despite challenging chest anatomy.
Differential inhibitory effects of interferon on deoxythymidine kinase induction of vaccinia-infected cell cultures.

SummaryThe effect of interferon on the induction of deoxythymidine kinase has been studied in vaccinia-infected chick embryo and mouse cell culture systems. Antecedent treatment of vaccinia-infected chick embryo cells with interferon inhibited deoxythymidine kinase induction. The inhibitor of deoxythymidine kinase was shown to share many properties with interferon. In the presence of concentrations of cytosine arabinoside or bromodeoxyuridine which suppressed vaccinia replication, interferon effectively inhibited deoxythymidine kinase induction, indicating an interferon effect on virus prior to replication of viral DNA. These results are consistent with other studies which indicate that interferon may act to prevent the function of viral mRNA. In contrast, under similar experimental conditions, mouse interferon did not inhibit deoxythymidine kinase induction in the mouse embryo cell culture system although interferon effectively inhibited viral multiplication.
Racial Disparities in Initial Presentation of Benign Thyroid Disease for Resection

Background Racial disparities exist in thyroidectomy outcomes. One contributing factor may be the disease state upon presentation to a surgeon. Minorities with thyroid cancer present at a later disease stage and with larger tumors. This relationship has not been examined for benign thyroid disease. We sought to examine the association between race, referral patterns, and disease severity for benign thyroid conditions.
Partisan Patterns of House Leadership Change, 1789—1977 *

This study of 364 leadership selections in the U.S. House from 1789 through 1977 discovered that Democrats have a higher proportion of appointed leaders than Republicans; their leaders move between posts in an ordered succession; their appointed leaders are often “removed from above” by their elected ones; and their leaders are subjected to infrequent and unsuccessful caucus challenges. Republicans rely upon election to choose their leaders; their leaders' rate of interpositional mobility is very low; their appointed leaders were never removed by their elected ones; and their leaders face the contests at the same rate as the Democrats do, but the incidence of successful challenges is much greater. They are “removed from below.” Majority vs. minority status had little statistically significant impact upon leadership contests and what variation appeared indicated that challenges were more frequent in the majority party where the stakes are higher and the rewards are greater than in the minority. Regardless of electoral consequences, however, Republican leaders are more vulnerable to caucus defeat than Democratic ones, which lends further support to the contention that party identity is more important than party status.
Effects of IV Hydration on Levels of hCG in the Serum and Urine of Women With Possible Ectopic Pregnancy

We examined the effects intravenous (IV) hydration on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) concentrations in serum and urine during early gestation. Such hydration commonly occurs during the initial evaluation for ectopic pregnancy and has been suggested to cause falsenegative urinary hCG test results. However, previous studies have not included data for specimens taken before and after hydration. Twenty-four patients were studied; 14 had ectopic pregnancies eventually confirmed histologically. All received IV saline (mean volume, 900 mL) over an average of 75 minutes. Serum and urine samples were obtained before and after hydration. Hydration caused a greater decrease (percentage of mean change ± SEM) ofhCG levels in the urine than in the serum, −44% ± 6% vs −13% ± 3%, respectively (P<.05). For serum or urine levels ofhCG, no significant difference in the effects of hydration were found between seven patients with intrauterine pregnancies and the 14 patients with ectopic pregnancies. In no patient did hydration cause a dilution of urinary hCG to below the threshold levels for detection by three rapid bench top immunoabsorption-immunoenzymatic pregnancy tests. A less sensitive pregnancy test, of the agglutination-inhibition type performed on a glass slide, failed to detect six pregnancies initially and eight pregnancies after hydration.
The Basic Management Course: Its Objectives, Content, and Instruction

The article looks at a study from 1973 which attempted to provide some empirical data of the nature of a basic management course. The author references papers published within a business management...
Interrelations among a Channel Entity's Power Sources: Impact of the Exercise of Reward and Coercion on Expert, Referent, and Legitimate Power Sources:

Several distribution channel studies have examined the effects of various sources of a channel member's power on such phenomena as power, conflict, and satisfaction. However, as causal relationship...
Proactive Decision Making

This note explores the differences between situations amenable to routine decision rules and those requiring proactive decision making. It suggests that proactive decision making seeks a rich set of alternatives, questions assumptions about structure and assessments, and considers diverse performance measures.
Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Attenuates Methotrexate Response in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and In Vitro

Variability in response to methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) remains unpredictable and poorly understood. Based on previous studies implicating an interaction between nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) expression and MTX therapy in inflammatory arthritis, we hypothesized that increased NAMPT expression would be associated with reduced therapeutic response to MTX in patients with JIA. A significant association was found between increased plasma concentrations of NAMPT and reduced therapeutic response in patients with JIA treated with MTX. Inhibition of NAMPT in cell culture by either siRNA-based gene silencing or pharmacological inhibition with FK-866 was found to result in a fourfold increase in the pharmacological activity of MTX. Collectively, these findings provide evidence that NAMPT inhibits the pharmacological activity of MTX and may represent a predictive biomarker of response, as well as a therapeutic target, in the treatment of JIA with MTX.
Thyroxine stimulation of amino acid incorporation into protein.

This was Sokoloff and Kaufman's first full report of stimulation of protein synthesis by thyroid hormones.
Human alveolar macrophages express Ia-like antigens

Monoclonal antibody to la-like antigens was used to demonstrate the presence of these antigens on human alveolar macrophages. Immunoprecipitation demonstrated the 27,000 and 34,000 molecular weight peaks that correspond to the la-like antigen subunits. Immunofluorescence confirmed the presence of la-like antigens on alveolar macrophages but not on other bronchoalveolar cells. The presence of alveolar macrophage la-like antigens may be important in cellular interactions.
Treatment of burns in children.

Discussed in this article are emergency management of the victim, fluid resuscitation, energy requirements, albumin and blood replacement, prevention of infection, biologic dressings, burn wound excision, and treatment of inhalation injury.
Preparation of MgB2 Films by Directly Electrophoretic Depositing MgB2 Powder on Ti Substrates

MgB2 powder was fabricated by sintering the mixture of pure Mg and B powder with atomic ratio of Mg : B=1:2. The magnetic property of the powder indicated that it was superconducting and its critical transition temperature was 39K. Titanium based MgB2 films were obtained by electrophoretic deposition method using Ni sheet as anode and titanium tapes as cathode. The films were annealed at 500°C for 2 hours, subjected to argon-hydrogen (95%Ar+5%H2) gas flow. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the composition of the film was mainly MgB2. The observation under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the film of MgB2 was uniform and dense. The electrical resistivity of double-side MgB2 film was about 5.280×10-8Ω/m.
Nuclear morphometry as a predictor of response to therapy in Wilms tumor: a preliminary report.

AbstractPresent therapy in Wilms tumor is based upon prognosis. Current trends suggest less intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for children with favorable histological disease who are considered at low risk for recurrence and increasing the amount of therapy for those with unfavorable histological tumors who are at high risk for recurrence. Currently, pathological stage and histological appearance are used to predict prognosis. We tested a new approach. Histological sections of surgical specimens were obtained from 9 children treated for unilateral Wilms tumor. All patients had favorable histological disease, and received postoperative chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. These specimens were evaluated by nuclear morphometry with the Hopkins Morphometry System to determine if nuclear shape descriptors could distinguish children who responded to therapy from those whose tumor recurred. Nuclear roundness, ellipticity, convexity and bending energy accurately separated the groups. Nuclear morphometr...
The effects of nanoparticles and organic additives with controlled dispersion on dielectric properties of polymers: Charge trapping and impact excitation

This work presents a comprehensive investigation into the effects of nanoparticles and organic additives on the dielectric properties of insulating polymers using reinforced silicone rubber as a model system. TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles (d = 5 nm) were well dispersed into the polymer via a bimodal surface modification approach. Organic molecules with the potential of voltage stabilization were further grafted to the nanoparticle to ensure their dispersion. These extrinsic species were found to provide deep traps for charge carriers and exhibited effective charge trapping properties at a rather small concentration (∼1017 cm−3). The charge trapping is found to have the most significant effect on breakdown strength when the electrical stressing time is long enough that most charges are trapped in the deep states. To establish a quantitative correlation between the trap depth and the molecular properties, the electron affinity and ionization energy of each species were calculated by an ab initio method and were compared with the experimentally measured values. The correlation however remains elusive and is possibly complicated by the field effect and the electronic interactions between different species that are not considered in this computation. At high field, a super-linear increase of current density was observed for TiO2 filled composites and is likely caused by impact excitation due to the low excitation energy of TiO2 compared to ZrO2. It is reasoned that the hot charge carriers with energies greater than the excitation energy of TiO2 may excite an electron-hole pair upon collision with the NP, which later will be dissociated and contribute to free charge carriers. This mechanism can enhance the energy dissipation and may account for the retarded electrical degradation and breakdown of TiO2 composites.
Assessment of Cardiac Troponin I Responses in Nonhuman Primates during Restraint, Blood Collection, and Dosing in Preclinical Safety Studies:

Limited information has been published on the use of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) as a biomarker of cardiac injury in monkeys. The purpose of these studies was to characterize the cTnI response seen in cynomolgus macaques during routine dosing and blood collection procedures typically used in preclinical safety studies and to better understand the pathogenesis of this response. We measured cTnI using two different methods, the Siemens Immulite cTnI assay and the more sensitive Siemens Troponin I-Ultra assay. We were able to demonstrate that after oral, subcutaneous, or intravenous dosing of common vehicles, as well as serial chair restraint for venipuncture blood collection, that minimal to mild transient increases in cTnI could be detected in monkeys with both assays. cTnI values typically peaked at 2, 3, 4, or 6 hr after sham dosing and returned to baseline at 22 or 24 hr. In addition, marked increases in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) occurred in monkeys during the restraint procedures, which likely initiated the cTnI release in these animals. Monkeys that were very well acclimated to the chairing procedures and had vascular access ports for blood sampling did not have marked increases in HRs and BP or increases in cTnI.
Efficacy of Dorsoradial Capsulodesis for Trapeziometacarpal Joint Instability: A Cadaver Study.

Purpose To test the biomechanical properties of the dorsoradial capsulodesis procedure. Methods Six cadaveric hands were used. After exposing the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint, we placed Kirschner wires in the distal radius and thumb metacarpal. The rotation shear test was then performed to test the joint axial laxity, and angular measurements using Kirschner wires as reference points were documented. The dorsoradial (DR) ligament and capsule were released, followed by the intermetacarpal (IM) ligament; angular measurements were obtained. Finally, the DR capsulodesis procedure was performed, and final measurements were obtained. Comparisons were made among the various stages of ligament integrity to determine the amount of stability provided by DR capsulodesis. Results All cadavers demonstrated axial laxity with transection of the DR ligament; an increase in stability was obtained after DR capsulodesis. Transection of the capsule and IM ligament caused increased laxity relative to the native joint (median, 24° and 35°, respectively, on rotational testing). After we performed DR capsulodesis, rotational stability improved by a median of 41° compared with DR ligament transection, 49° compared with DR and IM ligament transection, and 18° relative to the native joint. Conclusions Dorsoradial capsulodesis restores rotational stability for TMC joint after division of the DR and IM ligaments. The stability achieved was statistically significant compared with both an intact native TMC joint and induced laxity of the TMC joint. Clinical relevance The DR capsulodesis procedure may improve rotational stability to the TMC joint.
Biomedicine in an Unstable Place: Infrastructure and Personhood in a Papua New Guinean Hospital, by Alice Street

For Weber, bureaucracy, in its ideal typical form, was one of the characteristic institutions in Western modernity. Its normative rules and hierarchical system of offices, what he called rational-l...
Microvascular surgery in the congenital cardiac patient: A case series exploring feasibility and practical applications.

Summary Background Pediatric congenital heart disease patients are at risk for vascular injuries during surgical procedures or when the arterial system is accessed for monitoring or diagnostic studies. Our treatment of emergent situations in this patient population using microvascular techniques shows the feasibility of such techniques. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients aged 0–18 years with congenital heart disease identified six patients who underwent microvascular surgery by the senior surgeon from June 2007 to May 2015. We studied this series, highlighting technical aspects of surgery and perioperative care to determine their effect on outcome. Results Six patients with congenital cardiac defects requiring cardiothoracic surgery were studied, body weight ranging from 3.2 to 19.1 kg at the time of surgery. Five suffered iatrogenic arterial injury to the heart or vessels used for access or diagnostic studies, including coronary artery laceration, brachial artery thrombosis, and external iliac artery avulsion. Interventions included direct end-to-end repair and vein grafting. Vessel diameter averaged 1 mm. Patients received vasopressors intraoperatively and were on vasopressors and antihypertensives postoperatively. One patient died because of disseminated intravascular coagulation on postoperative day 17, but bypass graft was patent prior to death. The rest survived with clinical evidence of patency of the repaired vessel for a long-term. Conclusions Microsurgical intervention may be life-saving as a revascularization procedure to the heart by direct coronary repair or bypass grafting. Iatrogenic injuries to the limb may cause critical ischemia; limbs can be salvaged by microsurgical repair. Despite technical and physiological challenges, microsurgery is feasible and sometimes crucial in this patient population.
Psychological momentum and risky decision-making

Psychological momentum (PM) is construed as an extra-individual phenomenon capable of elevating performance in a variety of achievement contexts including athletics, politics, and investing. Although generally perceived as a performance-enhancing phenomenon, the present study tested whether one counterintuitive downside to developing PM is that it enhances risky decision-making—by way of eliciting heightened confidence—within these contexts. Findings from one study support this prediction. Participants induced to experience PM prior to a card-matching task with financial implications (chances to win $100 gift cards) made riskier gameplay decisions than those experiencing less PM. Critically, PM ratings were positively associated with task confidence, which in turn, mediated the relationship between PM and risk-taking. Directions for future research and implications for decision-making in sport, political, clinical, and investment domains are discussed.
Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Falls in Well-Functioning Older Adults: Findings From the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Objective Previous work demonstrates the consequences of falling in older adults and the potential of physical activity (PA) to reduce falls, but few studies have used accelerometer-measured PA to compare overall and time-of-day activity patterns of nonfallers, fallers, or subgroups of fallers. Methods In 840 participants (mean age, 66.7; s = 13.2; range, 26-97) of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging between 2007 and 2014, PA was measured objectively with Actiheart accelerometers and falling status (faller/nonfaller) was assessed during an in-person interview. Differences in daily PA and PA by time-of-day were assessed using multiple linear regression. Differences in PA (multiple linear regression), and functional status (χ) were further examined in subgroups of "risky" or "normal" fallers. Results Overall, fallers and nonfallers exhibited similar daily (β = 22.6, P = 0.48) and time-specific PA; however, those who fell doing risky activities were more active overall (β = 243.8, P = 0.002), during the morning (β = 77.3, P = 0.004), afternoon (β = 78.4, P = 0.001), and late afternoon/evening (β = 56.3, P = 0.006) than those who fell doing normal activities. Risky fallers were significantly higher functioning than normal fallers. Conclusions Persons who fell while engaging in normal activities exhibited lower PA overall and throughout most of the day, and were of lower functional status than persons who fell while engaging in risky or unusual activities, suggesting that engagement in risky or unusual PA is associated with higher functional ability and lower falls risk in older persons.