cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social-Demographic, School, Neighborhood, and Parenting Influences on the Academic Achievement of Latino Young Adolescents.

Using data from a national sample of 388 Latino young adolescents, this study identified the social-demographic characteristics, influences in the broader social environment, and parenting practices that predict youth academic achievement. Youths who were Mexican American, older, and had an English language problem had lower levels of reading and mathematics achievement. Youths of mothers who began childbearing at older ages, had higher levels of intellectual abilities, and reported no English language problem scored better on both types of achievement tests, but poverty was related only to reading achievement. Attendance in higher-rated schools was associated with higher reading and mathematics scores, but residence in better quality neighborhoods was related only to reading achievement. Three parenting practices—providing cognitive stimulation, parent–youth conflict, and academic involvement—predicted both types of achievement. The effect of poverty on reading achievement was explained by residence in lower quality neighborhoods, lower levels of cognitive stimulation, and parent–youth conflict.
Breast imaging using an amorphous silicon-based full-field digital mammographic system: Stability of a clinical prototype

An amorphous silicon-based full-breast imager for digital mammography was evaluated for detector stability over a period of 1 year. This imager uses a structured Csl:Tl scintillator coupled to an amorphous silicon layer with a 100-micron pixel pitch and read out by special purpose electronics. The stability of the system was characterized using the following quantifiable metrics: conversion factor (mean number of electrons generated per incident x-ray), presampling modulation transfer function (MTF), detector linearity and sensitivity, defector signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation phantom scores. Qualitative metrics such as flat field uniformity, geometric distortion, and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) test pattern image quality were also used to study the stability of the system. Observations made over this 1-year period indicated that the maximum variation from the average of the measurements were less than 0.5% for conversion factor, 3% for presampling MTF over all spatial frequencies, 5% for signal response, linearity and sensitivity, 12% for SNR over seven locations for all 3 target-filter combinations, and 0% for ACR accreditation phantom scores. ACR mammographic accreditation phantom images indicated the ability to resolve 5 fibers, 4 speck groups, and 5 masses at a mean glandular dose of 1.23 mGy. The SMPTE pattern image quality test for the display monitors used for image viewing indicated ability to discern all contrast steps and ability to distinguish line-pair images at the center and corners of the image. No bleeding effects were observed in the image. Flat field uniformity for all 3 target-filter combinations displayed no artifacts such as gridlines, bad detector rows or columns, horizontal or vertical streaks, or bad pixels. Wire mesh screen images indicated uniform resolution and no geometric distortion.
10-nJ multipass-cavity femtosecond Cr3+:LiCAF laser pumped by low-power single-mode diodes

We report on the generation of 9.9-nJ, 95-fs pulses at a repetition rate of 9.58 MHz from a multipass-cavity Cr3+:LiCAF laser pumped by single-mode diodes with a total absorbed pump power of only 540 mW.
Geographic Variation in Size and Age of North American Chinook Salmon

Abstract Patterns of mean length and length at age were characterized and compared for 108 populations of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha located between 42 and 65° north latitude in western North America. Mean overall fish length in populations ranged over 45.5 cm for adult males and 28.8 cm for females. Mean length at a given marine age and freshwater life history type varied by up to 26 cm. Mean length at marine age did not differ between stream-type and ocean-type life histories, which indicates that differences in size and date of ocean entry had little effect on final size. Hatchery-reared fish were significantly smaller at a given age than naturally produced fish. Chinook salmon from the Kenai, Kitsumkalum, and Wannock rivers had the largest total mean lengths of the 108 populations, and were also the largest at marine ages 4 and 5. These populations appear to represent extremes in both body size and reproductive life history. There are many selective advantages of large body size, but no c...
Locating Feminism's Subject: The Paradox of White Femininity and the Struggle to Forge Feminist Alliances

This essay examines the discursive practices of U.S. feminism to argue that Whiteness functions not only through that which is present within a text, but also through its “rhetorical silences.” Within this particular context, Whiteness is understood as an communication phenomenon that produces and maintains racial privilege for White feminists in ways that they do not acknowledge. Thus the “subject of feminism” is paradoxically located in the intersection between racial privilege and gender subordination in ways that compromise the possibility of feminist alliances. By examining the ways in which Whiteness functions within various communication sites and the ways in which it positions White women to “speak,” this essay pushes for more reflexive White feminist theory and praxis.
Using virtual boundaries for the planning and machining of protrusion free-form features

Abstract Sculptured surfaces are frequently encountered in modern engineering designs. Sculptured surface machining is a time-consuming and error-prone process. It is critical that proper tools are selected and cutter paths generated. In this paper, a method called the virtual boundary approach is proposed to integrate a protrusion free-form surface feature with conventional polyhedron features in a feature-based design and manufacturing system. Using the proposed virtual boundary approach, a protrusion free-form feature can be converted into a virtual pocket with islands. The machining of a protrusion sculptured surface feature is transformed into a series of virtual pocketing processes. The proposed methodology transforms the union operation of a protrusion free-form feature into a difference operation of removal volumes. Techniques of automatic cutter selection and cutter path generation are presented. A complete operation plan and cutter path can be generated for machining using the proposed virtual boundary method. Practical examples and automatic cutter path generation for machining are also presented.
A radiation-hardened 16/32-bit microprocessor

A single-chip radiation-hardened 16/32-bit microprocessor (the SA3300) has been designed, fabricated, and tested. The SA3300 is designed to withstand high levels of ionizing radiation and is resistant to single-event upset (SEU) caused by heavy ions. New techniques were used to improve immunity to SEU effects in combinational logic. Testing has demonstrated that the SA3300 is functional after a total gamma dose of 5 Mrad(Si). The device does not suffer latchup from SEU, and parts without SEU resistors have an SEU linear energy transfer (LET) upset threshold greater than 28 MeV/mg/cm/sup 2/. >
The C-S Stretching Frequency in Thiol Acids and Esters

Several years ago, Nyquist and Potts published a paper on the characteristic frequencies of thiol esters and related compounds, in which they concluded that the C—S stretching frequency of the [Equation] group lies in the 880 to 1030 cm−1 region. Their assignment of the C—S stretch in thiolacetic acid to the band at 993 cm−1 is in conflict with the assignments of Sheppard and Mecke and Spiesecke of 626 cm−1 for this vibration. Other authors have adopted the Nyquist and Potts assignments, but comparisons of the spectra of several compounds have led the present writer to agree with the original assignment.
Technical and Cost Study of Superplastic Forming of a Lightweight Aluminum Door Structure

The expanded forming limits associated with superplastic forming (SPF) makes it an attractive option for the manufacture of complex parts from aluminum sheet. In this work SPF is used as an enabling technology to remove cost and mass from a multi-piece aluminum door inner structure. In the new design, panels manufactured using SPF are applied to consolidate parts and eliminate the use of expensive castings and stampings. The functional requirements of the new door system were confirmed with CAE while the ability to superplastically form the parts was confirmed with unique finite element tools specifically developed for the process. Finally, a technical cost model was applied to determine the cost of the SPF parts and to compare them with the actual part costs of the original design.
Deconstructing (and reconstructing) cell migration.

An overriding objective in cell biology is to be able to relate properties of particular molecular components to cell behavioral functions and even physiology. In the “traditional” mode of molecular cell biology, this objective has been tackled on a molecule-by-molecule basis, and in the “future” mode sometimes termed “functional genomics,” it might be attacked in a high-throughput, parallel manner. Regardless of the manner of approach, the relationship between molecular-level properties and cell-level function is exceedingly difficult to elucidate because of the large number of relevant components involved, their high degree of interconnectedness, and the inescapable fact that they operate as physico-chemical entities—according to the laws of kinetics and mechanics—in space and time within the cell. Cell migration is a prominent representative example of such a cell behavioral function that requires increased understanding for both scientific and technological advance. This article presents a framework, derived from an engineering perspective regarding complex systems, intended to aid in developing improved understanding of how properties of molecular components influence the function of cell migration. That is, cell population migration behavior can be deconstructed as follows: first in terms of a mathematical model comprising cell population parameters (random motility, chemotaxis/haptotaxis, and chemokinesis/haptokinesis coefficients), which in turn depend on characteristics of individual cell paths that can be analyzed in terms of a mathematical model comprising individual cell parameters (translocation speed, directional persistence time, chemotactic/haptotactic index), which in turn depend on cell-level physical processes underlying motility (membrane extension and retraction, cell/substratum adhesion, cell contractile force, front-vs.-rear asymmetry), which in turn depend on molecular-level properties of the plethora of components involved in governance and regulation of these processes. Hence, the influence of any molecular component on cell population migration can be understood by reconstructing these relationships from the molecular level to the physical process level to the individual cell path level to the cell population distribution level. This approach requires combining experimental, theoretical, and computational methodologies from molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and bioengineering. Micros. Res. Tech. 43:358–368, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A survey of long-term health modeling, estimation, and control of Lithium-ion batteries: Challenges and opportunities

This paper reviews the literature on Lithium-ion battery characterization, control, and optimization. The paper examines the primary degradation processes in cycled cells, then proceeds to the challenges associated with controlling these processes. One key challenge is the multiplicity of complex phenomena contributing to battery aging, and the failure of most empirical battery health models to account for this multiplicity. This creates a need for identifying how batteries fail, and developing control-oriented fundamental models of their failure: a task that requires tight integration of experimental characterization techniques, system identification, and electrochemistry-based battery modeling and simulation. The paper provides an overview of battery degradation mechanisms and reactions, and the various methods used to characterize these reactions. We also highlight the battery control strategies currently in use, and the potential for long-term battery health improvements using model-based degradation control.
Committed Procurement in Privately Negotiated Markets: Evidence from Laboratory Markets

Previous research suggests an increase in committed procurement can result in lower cash market prices for livestock. There is a paucity of research that ascertains prices received by market agents trading in a prior bargaining session via alternative marketing arrangements versus those who have not. We use laboratory market experiments to analyze the potential impacts of committed procurement on privately negotiated transactions when some traders have two windows of negotiation and others have one. Results illustrate that those who do not engage in prior trading are at a bargaining disadvantage due to matching and inventory loss risks.
A graph model for E-commerce recommender systems

Information overload on the Web has created enormous challenges to customers selecting products for online purchases and to online businesses attempting to identify customers' preferences efficiently. Various recommender systems employing different data representations and recommendation methods are currently used to address these challenges. In this research, we developed a graph model that provides a generic data representation and can support different recommendation methods. To demonstrate its usefulness and flexibility, we developed three recommendation methods: direct retrieval, association mining, and high-degree association retrieval. We used a data set from an online bookstore as our research test-bed. Evaluation results showed that combining product content information and historical customer transaction information achieved more accurate predictions and relevant recommendations than using only collaborative information. However, comparisons among different methods showed that high-degree association retrieval did not perform significantly better than the association mining method or the direct retrieval method in our test-bed.
Commentary on Ellis et al.: Adapting Multisystemic Therapy for Challenging Clinical Problems of Children and Adolescents

Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Vol.  No. , , pp. – ©  Society of Pediatric Psychology DOI: ./jpepsy/jsg All correspondence should be sent to Scott W. Henggeler, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President Street, Suite CPP, P.O. Box 25061, Charleston, South Carolina 29425. Email: henggesw@musc.edu. The purpose of this commentary is to place the important adaptation of the multisystemic therapy (MST) model being developed by Ellis et al. within a broader research and services framework, one that encourages the consideration of other well-conceived adaptations of this evidence-based approach.
E. Rathbone-McCuan & B. Havens, Eds. (1988). North American Elders: United States and Canadian Perspectives . Westport, CT U.S.A.: Greenwood Press.

De plus en plus les americains demontrent un interet marque envers l'etablissement de comparaisons transversales qui pourraient aider a formuler des programmes et des politiques a l'intention des personnes âgees. En gerontologie cependant, de telles entreprises conjointes en matiere de recherche et d'enseignement n'ontpas, pour la plupart et jusqu'a present, ete couronnees de succes. North American Elders plaide d'une facon convaincante en faveur d'un retirement et preconise la mise au point d'une gerontologie nord-americaine. Le texte cependant ne contient pas la description d'une structure conceptuelle qui pourrait assurer le succes d'un tel effort de collaboration. Neanmoins, les auteurs soutiennent que pour bien comprendre le processus du vieillissement et pour concevoir des programmes sensibles aux besoins des personnes âgees, il faut absolument tenir compte des facteurs culturels. Ils poursuivent en rendant compte des raisons pour lesquelles les gerontologues et politiciens devraient porter une attention tres particuliere aux valeurs fondamentales qui servent a formuler les politiques a l'intention du nombre croissant de personnes âgees au sein de chaque societe.
The Stutter Go Back-N ARQ Protocol

In this paper we consider the problem of designing a good ARQ protocol for a message transmission environment characterized by high error rates and/or long propagation delays. We derive the average queue length for an idealized ARQ protocol for such an environment. We also describe a modification that can be made to existing ARQ protocols which can significantly decrease queue lengths in such an environment. We show that for the case of low message traffic rates, the modified Go Back- N protocol approaches the idealized scheme in performance.
Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction Syndrome

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a syndrome of many causes. Attempts must be made to determine the cause and the extent of the involvement of the gastrointestinal tract in each patient, because they will dictate the method of treatment for that patient. Family history must be taken from all primary chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction patients. If it is positive, genetic counseling and proper medical management can be given to newly identified cases in the family.
Social radiation oncology.

DJ’s cancer has recurred. His stage IV lung cancer showed a promising initial response to multiagent chemotherapy, radiation therapy to a residual mediastinal mass, and stereotactic radiosurgery to 3 cerebral deposits. Now, along with a 20% weight loss, his cancer has recurred in the brain and mediastinum and he has new lesions in the liver and lung. He ambulates with difficulty because of weakness and dyspnea and will soon need assistance for his physical needs. Your recommendation for next steps in management of his case includes the following.
EEG biofeedback treatment of ADD. A viable alternative to traditional medical intervention

Literature searches dating back to 1968 were conducted through Psychlit and Medline services to review the scientific literature on EEG biofeedback treatment of ADD. While anecdotal and case reports cite promising evidence, methodological problems coupled with a paucity of research precludes any definitive conclusions as to the efficacy of enhanced alpha and hemisphere-specific EEG biofeedback training. One of the more promising EEG biofeedback treatment paradigms involves theta/beta training. Studies have reported that academic, intellectual, and behavioral gains have been attained with this approach. Significant behavioral and cognitive changes have also been reported following SMR training. However, research into these treatment approaches has also been marred by methodological inadequacies and lack of sufficient follow-up studies. A number of recommendations for future research into this treatment approach are made.
Stand development and production dynamics of loblolly pine under a range of cultural treatments in north-central Florida USA

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of stand development and soil nutrient supply on processes affecting the productivity of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) over a period approximately equal to a pulpwood rotation (18 years). The experiment consisted of a 2 � 2 factorial combination of complete and sustained weed control and annual fertilization treatments (C: control treatment, F: fertilization, W: weed control, FW: combined fertilization and weed control), located on a Spodosol in north-central Florida, USA. The reduction of soil nutrient limitations through fertilization or control of competing vegetation resulted in dramatic increases in almost every measure of productivity investigated, including height (19.7 m in the FW treatment versus 12.5 m in the C treatment at age 18 years), basal area (FW ¼ 44: 2m 2 ha � 1 ,F ¼ 39: 6m 2 ha � 1 , W ¼ 36: 6m 2 ha � 1 ,C ¼ 19: 9m 2 ha � 1 at age 16 years), stemwood biomass accumulation (114 Mg ha � 1 in FW versus 42.8 Mg ha � 1 in C at age 18 years), foliar nitrogen concentration (1.53% in plots receiving fertilization versus 1.06% in unfertilized plots at age 17 years) and leaf area index (age 16-year peak projected of approximately 3.3 at age 9–10 years in F and FW plots, 2.5 in the W treatment and 1.5 in the C plots). Cultural treatments also decreased the growth ring earlywood/latewood ratio, and accelerated the juvenile wood to mature wood transition. While soil nutrient supply was a major determinant of productivity, production changes that occurred within treatments over the course of stand development were equally dramatic. For example, between age 8 and 15 years, stemwood PAI in the FW treatment declined by 275%; similarly large reductions occurred in the F and W treatments over the same time period. The reductions in PAI in the treated plots were linearly related to stand BA, suggesting the decline in productivity was associated with the onset of inter-tree competition. Responses of stemwood PAI to re-fertilization treatments at age 15 years suggests that the declines in growth and growth efficiency with time were partially attributable to nutrient limitations. # 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Lithium Insertion/Deinsertion Characteristics of Nanostructured Amorphous Tantalum Oxide Thin Films

Lithium uptake and release by pure, morphology-controlled Ta2O5 films is studied. Porous nanocolumnar films, reactively e-beam deposited at 70° versus normal, are rapidly lithiated and delithiated, withstanding volume-change-associated stresses. Their reversible gravimetric Coulombic capacities at 1 C, 2 C, 5 C, and 10 C rates are, respectively, 252, 225, 192, 168 mAh g−1. After 100 cycles at 1 C rate the films retain 96 % of their Coulombic capacity and 99 % of their Coulombic efficiency. The rapid lithiation/delithiation is attributed to formation of amorphous, Li+ permeable, nanoporous LiTaO3.
A method to relax the design of active filters against large GB-variations

A systematic method to design active filters to meet specified performance bounds over a wide range of values for the gain-bandwidth product (GB) is represented. The method finds a simplicial approximation to the acceptability region assuming ideal op amps and determines the minimum value of GB for which each of the boundary points is acceptable. The boundary point which allows the minimum value of GB is selected as optimal with respect to variations in GB. A balanced-structure filter simulating the operation of an LC ladder is considered as an example. >
PARENT MATERIAL AND CHEMICAL WEATHERING IN ALPINE SOILS ON MT. MANSFIELD, VERMONT, USA

We compared the elemental composition of soil and bedrock samples to determine the extent of chemical weathering and the nature of the soil parent material in alpine soils on Vermont's highest summit. Previously it was unclear whether these soils formed through weathering of bedrock, glacial till, or eolian sediment, or solely through the accumulation of organic matter. In eighteen profiles, no evidence was found to indicate that soils have developed in glacial till, despite evidence that the mountain was completely inundated by the Laurentide Ice Sheet. In contrast, results strongly support the theory that pedogenesis in this environment involves in situ bedrock weathering under a thickening blanket of acidic organic litter. Weathering indices reveal an increase in weathering intensity upwards from the bedrock, and trends of normalized rare earth elements demonstrate a strong similarity between bedrock and soil samples. Leaching has concentrated less mobile elements such as Al, Cr, La, P, Pb, and Ti in soil horizons and removed mobile elements such as Co, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Si, and Zn. X-ray diffraction reveals that chlorite, which is present in all bedrock samples and some saprolites, has weathered completely from upper soil horizons, and that hydrobiotite, vermiculite, kaolinite, gibbsite, and goethite have formed in the soil. Ratios of immobile elements (Ce, Cr, Nb, Ta, Ti, Y, and Zr) in soil and bedrock samples are, however, notably different. Furthermore, the moderately mobile trace elements Cu, Mo, and Sr are actually more abundant in soil than in bedrock, and soil concentrations of Zr are up to an order-of-magnitude greater than in bedrock samples. Together these data argue for at least a modest eolian influx, which may have arrived during the regression of Lake Vermont during the latest Pleistocene or from an outwash source in the immediate post-glacial period. Similarly, increased Ca and Na concentrations in soil samples may signify modern deposition of dust bearing Ca (from agricultural fields) and Na (from roads).
The Influence of Free Hemoglobin and Bilirubin on Heparin Monitoring by Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time and Anti-Xa Assay

Context.— Elevated free hemoglobin (Hb) and bilirubinemia complicate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and could affect unfractionated heparin (UH) therapy monitoring by anti-Xa assay and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Objectives.— To compare in vitro response of anti-Xa and aPTT assays to UH in samples with artificial hyperbilirubinemia and hyperhemoglobinemia and to estimate if this interference is also observed in vivo in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Design.— Measurement of aPTT and anti-Xa activity in plasma spiked with UH and increased concentration of free Hb and/or conjugated bilirubin. All samples with anti-Xa activity, antithrombin, free Hb, and bilirubin determination and infused dose of UH from inpatients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were extracted from the clinical patient database and analyzed. Results.— Each increment of free Hb by 100 mg/dL significantly shortened aPTT, whereas an increment of bilirubin by 6 mg/dL caused significant prolongation ...
Secretion of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin by non-small cell lung cancer: a case report

We describe a case of non-small cell lung cancer that was found to stain positive for beta-human chorionic gonadotropin on immunohistochemistry. Only a few case reports have described lung cancers that secrete beta-human chorionic gonadotropin. A 68-year-old Caucasian man presented with symptoms of weakness, fatigue and weight loss for the past two months. On examination, he was found to have generalized lymphadenopathy, and radiologic workup revealed numerous metastases in the lungs, liver and kidneys. Biopsy of the supraclavicular lymph node revealed metastatic large cell lung cancer with beta-human chorionic gonadotropin hormone positivity. The serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin level was 11,286 mIU/ml (upper limit of normal, 0.5 mIU/ml in non-pregnant females). He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung non-small cell lung cancer. The patient refused chemotherapy. He was discharged home with hospice care. The markedly elevated serum values of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin initially prompted the medical team to investigate germinal tumors. In the presence of a negative testicular ultrasound, workup was performed to find an extratesticular source of the tumor. Finally, the diagnosis was made with a tissue biopsy. This case illustrates that atypical markers can be seen in many cancers, emphasizing the role of immunohistochemistry and tissue biopsy in establishing the diagnosis.
BaTiO3 Thin Films Prepared by Organometallic Chemical Vapor Deposition

BaTiO3 thin films have been prepared by low pressure organometallic chemical vapor deposition on (100) MgO and (100) LaAlO3 substrates using the volatile precursors, titanium(IV) tetraisopropoxide and barium (hexafluoroacetylacetonate)2 (tetraglyme). The phase composition and structure of the films depends on the reactant partial pressure, growth temperature, and substrate. High quality, epitaxial BaTiO3 films can be prepared in-situ on LaAlO3 as confirmed by x-ray diffraction measurements. These BaTiO3 films exhibit smooth surface morphologies as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. Electrical resistivity measurements indicate that the films are semi-insulating.
Mycotic thromboaneurysmal disease of the abdominal aorta in preterm infants: Its natural history and its management

Abstract Five infants with mycotic complications of umbilical artery catherization were evaluated with abdominal ultrasound and followed serially to document their natural history. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was always the infecting organism. There were one female and four male infants and they weighed between 900 and 1,200 g at birth. While two of the catheters were positioned in the abdominal aorta, three were located above the diaphragm. The predominate signs and symptoms included: thrombocytopenia, unexplained anemia, renal failure, hypertension, and embolic phenomena to the toes. Real-time ultrasound always proved sufficient for diagnosis. Serial studies detected the initial aortic thrombosis in three patients and accurately documented its progression to aneurysmal disease over 10 days in one patient and 17 days in another. Three of the infants were diagnosed with aneurysms at their initial examination. Of the five patients, three were treated nonoperatively and died of complications of their aortic disease. One patient was discovered at operation to have necrotic ischemic intestine. Aortic repair was postponed and he died of septic complications. The remaining patient underwent a PTFE interposition graft and survived for 6 months, dying of pulmonary failure with autopsy confirmed graft patency.
Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia Associated with Systemic Glucocorticoids in the Treatment of Type 2 Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis

ABSTRACT Objective: We report a patient with type 2 amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) treated with high-dose glucocorticoids who subsequently had Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). Methods: Current guidelines recommend high doses of glucocorticoids for restoring euthyroidism in patients with type 2 AIT. In this case study, we discuss a potential life-threatening pitfall of high-dose glucocorticoid use in these patients. Results: A 63-year-old man with a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation previously treated with oral amiodarone was seen for weight loss, tremors, and fatigue. He was biochemically hyperthyroid (suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone, elevated free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine). Oral dexamethasone was started for type 2 AIT, with dramatic improvement over 2 months. He later developed progressive shortness of breath and hypoxic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Infectious workup revealed PJP. Despite aggressive treatment measures, he suffered numero...
Arctic Refraction Study

Atmospheric refraction corrections applied to observed zenith angles have long been considered the largest source of error in polar astronomic observations. The use of radiosonde data offers the possibility of overcoming restrictions imposed by the polar environment and of establishing the reliability of existing refraction tables for use in the Arctic. Solar observations taken during a 2-week period from a camp on the northeast coast of Ellesmere Island, Canada, are used to establish the correlation between actual refraction and refraction calculated from radiosonde data. Analysis of data for a 6-week summer period shows the refraction to be both stable and in substantial agreement with the published tables of Garfinkel.
Reply: Commercialization Without Exchange

In this brief reply to Prof. Ted Sichelman’s comments on my article Exchanging Information Without Intellectual Property, I argue that justifications for intellectual property that rely on the incentives exclusive rights offer for commercialization are not economically distinguishable from traditional theories based on incentives to invent or create in the first instance. Because innovation is not an event but a process, innovative activities may be subject to misappropriation – and therefore under-production – at multiple points along the supply chain that runs from conception to commercialization. The grant of exclusive rights is an intervention that can be made at any of these points. Whether granted early or late in the innovation process, the economic function of the intervention is the same. Similarly, the intervention is subject to similar critiques – most notably that their social welfare costs exceed their benefits and that alternative forms of incentive may be just as effective at lower social cost – regardless of when it is made. The incentives-based “commercialization theory” therefore is really just a version of traditional “reward theory” set later in time. In my work, I isolate and critique a different economic function that exclusive rights may serve with respect to commercialization: that of facilitating exchange.
Comparative effects of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin in cell culture systems

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) induced contraction in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and glomerular mesangial cells (GMC). The contractile response of AVP and OXT was paralleled by Ca2+ mobilization as assessed by 45Ca2+ efflux in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of AVP were blocked by pretreating VSMC and GMC with a V1 antagonist. OXT-stimulated effects, however, were not affected by preexposure of VSMC and GMC to an OXT antagonist but were inhibited by the V1 antagonist. Competition studies demonstrated displacement of [3H]AVP from its receptors by unlabeled AVP, the V1 antagonist, and high doses of OXT. The OXT antagonist was the least effective in displacing [3H]AVP. Thus occupancy of the V1 receptor by OXT may initiate signal transduction and contraction in VSMC and GMC in a manner qualitatively similar to that of the AVP agonist. Cultured myometrium cells (MMC) also contracted in response to AVP and OXT. Moreover, 45Ca2+ efflux increased in response to both hormones in a dose-dependent manner. AVP-stimulated contraction and 45Ca2+ efflux were blocked in MMC by pretreatment with V1 antagonist. OXT-induced effects were inhibited by the OXT antagonist but not by the V1 antagonist. Binding experiments showed that [3H]AVP was displaced equally by unlabeled AVP and V1 antagonist. Very high concentrations of OXT antagonist also demonstrated displacement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Los límites de la representación: picaresca, censura e historia

Este ensayo propone que ciertas variaciones y discontinuidades que la critica aprecia en la picaresca pueden entenderse a la luz de las luchas politicas habidas en la Castilla de la primera modernidad en torno al control de la imaginacion y a la instrumentalizacion de la representacion simbolica en las maniobras de legitimacion dentro del nuevo sistema absolutista. El control de la representacion simbolica, en manos de agentes sociales diversos procedentes de la realeza, la aristocracia, la Iglesia y el amplio grupo de los letrados (escritores y lectores por excelencia) se llevo acabo a traves de la implementacion una extensa legislacion y de la aplicacion directa o indirecta de varias formas de censura: civil, eclesiastica y moral. A su vez, la actuacion de la censura tuvo un papel extraordinariamente importante en el desarrollo de la picaresca.
Good Kids, Mad Cities Kendrick Lamar and Finding Inner Resistance in Response to FergusonUSA

The author draws from the works of Kevin Quashie and Kendrick Lamar to analyze the ways in which Black bodies in Hip Hop culture can represent resistance while being quiet, still, or building on existential consciousness from their interior. As many youth of color are good kids in mad cities, the article focuses on the question, “What does it mean for a generation of youth who are coming of age under the loud publicness of Hip Hop, racism, state violence, and domestic terrorism to know that resistance also can be found in the act of stillness?”
Characterization and Speciation of Fuel Oil Dilution in Gasoline Direct Injection (DI) Engines

Fuel dilution in oil is a known issue for gasoline direct injection (DI) engines especially in colder climates and for customers with short, lightly-loaded driving cycles. In this work, oil samples were generated using a cold oil fuel accumulation test. Gas chromatography (GC) was used to speciate the hydrocarbons accumulated in the oil and characterize their quantity, type, molecular weight distribution, and volatility. Further testing and analysis was done to characterize the fuel hydrocarbons that evaporate from oil during engine warm-up conditions. The results demonstrate how the wide range of gasoline hydrocarbon volatility leads to different behavior in the accumulation and subsequent evaporation phases. Lastly, a model was created to extend this analysis and estimate the evaporation of hydrocarbons from the oil.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Therapeutic Effect on Vaginitis of Jieeryin

Objective:To study the effect of Jieeryin to trichomonas vaginitis,fungal vaginitis,senile vaginitis,nonspecific vaginitis and vulvitis.Methods:10% Jieeryin treat 824 vaginitis,1∶5000 liquor potassic permanganate treat 815 vaginitis,to campare the effect of the two groups.Conclusion:Jieeryin had an obvious therapeutic effect on 4 kinds of vaginitis.
Explaining the surprisingly weak relationship between organizational constraints and job performance

ABSTRACTOrganizational constraints are contextual factors that interfere with task performance. Study 1 was a meta-analysis of constraints-performance studies that found a smaller than expected relationship. Two additional studies were designed to understand why constraints fail to relate as expected to performance. Study 2 found support for the rater-bias hypothesis that raters take constraints into consideration when rating performance. Study 3 showed that constraints were both a challenge and a hindrance, and the two components tend to cancel one another. Two important conclusions that arise are that the constraints–performance relationship observed in field studies using raters is an underestimate of the true relationship, and constraints are not simply a hindrance, but can have a challenging effect that enhances motivation, as well.
Accumulation, Nature, and Possible Functions of the Malachite Green Affinity Material in Ejaculated Human Spermatozoa

An electron microscopic study was conducted on human sperm over an incubation period of 5 to 6 hours in Tyrode's solution at room temperature. Examination of aliquots of the cells, fixed at timed intervals, with glutaraldehyde, malachite green, and postosmication revealed that malachite green affinity material (MGA-M) was barely discernible at first but did accumulate considerably upon standing. Biochemical analysis of MGA-M, which is extractable by glutaraldehyde, revealed that MGA-M is a mixture of extractable phospholipids and of their lyso-derivatives. Some of these substances have fusogenic properties; i.e., they are able to fuse together the membranes of two different cells. The appearance and accumulation of these fusogens occurred during the incubation period of 5 to 6 hours, which was previously shown to be required to capacitate human sperm in vitro. It is probable, therefore, that human sperm, during their initial period of incubation either in vivo or in vitro, not only become capacitated and undergo the acrosome reaction but also develop the fusogenic substance(s) which are necessary for the imminent fusion of their plasma membrane to the vitelline membrane of the mature oocyte.
Hexose Transport Regulation by Insulin in the Isolated Rat Adipose Cell

Following the initial observations that insulin stimulates the metabolism of glucose in a variety of peripheral tissues,(1) it was soon recognized that this stimulatory effect was exerted at the level of glucose uptake.(2–5) Since these earlier observations, most studies pertaining to the action of insulin on glucose uptake have been carried out in adipose tissue and, more specifically, rat adipose tissue. Despite its relatively small contribution to glucose homeostasis in the whole animal,(6) adipose tissue has been preferred for such studies because of the ease with which it can be obtained, the ability to prepare isolated adipose cells relatively free of other cell types,(7) and the extreme sensitivity and responsiveness of the adipose cell to insulin. Validation of the adipose cell as a model for studies of the mechanism of insulin action on hexose transport is now being obtained by parallel studies in muscle.(8,9) However, significant and even marked differences in the magnitude and sensitivity of the response to insulin are apparent between tissues, as they are between adipose cells of different species such as guinea pig(10) and man.(11)
Notas sobre el sprawl urbano y Santiago

A cuatro anos de la primera edicion del libro Sprawl: A Compact History, su autor comenta en estas paginas el estado actual de la discusion sobre expansion urbana (sprawl). Luego de resumir algunos de los principales contenidos de su obra de 2005 (la historia del sprawl urbano en el mundo, asi como la historia de las objeciones al sprawl y los resultados de las politicas dirigidas a detenerlo o impedirlo), Robert Bruegmann pasa revista a los estudios mas recientes, muchos de los cuales ponen en tela de juicio, cuando no refutan derechamente, supuestos que hasta hace poco se tenian por verdades establecidas sobre la descentralizacion y la expansion urbanas. Respecto a Santiago, Bruegmann se refiere a algunos de los problemas que, a su entender, tendrian que superarse para que pueda llegar a transformarse en una ciudad del mundo desarrollado.
Contemporary Controversies in Digoxin Use in Systolic Heart Failure

Digoxin remains one of the oldest therapies for heart failure; however, its safety and efficacy have been controversial since its initial use. Questions that remain include the clinical efficacy of digoxin when added to contemporary medical therapy, when and if it should be added, and how to minimize adverse effects. In this review, we will summarize recent data on the use of digoxin in systolic heart failure and address some of the controversies regarding the role of digoxin in the modern era of heart failure treatment.
Robust spatial frameworks for leveraging research on sustainable crop intensification

Meeting demand for food, fiber, feed, and fuel in a world with 9.7 billion people by 2050 without negative environmental impact is the greatest scientific challenge facing humanity. We hypothesize that this challenge can only be met with current and emerging technologies if guided by proactive use of a broad array of relevant data and geospatial scaling approaches to ensure local to global relevance for setting research priorities and implementing agricultural systems responsive to real-time status of weather, soils, crops, and markets. Despite increasing availability of field-scale agricultural data, robust spatial frameworks are lacking to convert these data into actionable knowledge. This commentary article highlights this knowledge gap and calls attention to the need for developing robust spatial frameworks that allow appropriate scaling to larger spatial domains by discussing a recently developed example of a data-driven strategy for estimating yield gaps of agricultural systems. To fully leverage research on sustainable intensification of cropping systems and inform policy development at different scales, we call for new approaches combining the strengths of top-down and bottom-up approaches which will require coordinated efforts between field scientists, crop modelers, and geospatial researchers at an unprecedented level.
A Study to Investigate the Role of GULP/ CED 6 Gene in "Eat Me" Signaling in Cellular Efferocytosis and Immunosurveillance.

In this report, investigations were done to study human GULP/ CED 6 genes role in presenting cancer cells to scavenger cells. CED 6 SiRNA was used to knock out the gene in Astrocytoma (HTB-12) cell lines to study its effects on expression of various “eat me” signals on these cells including Phosphatidyl serine (PtdSer) expression, nitric oxide (NO) signaling and Leukotrine B4 (LTB4) expression and Caspase 3 activation. Investigations were done by fluorescence microscopy techniques, ELISA assay and colorimetric assays using a standard microplate reader and spectrophotometer. Initial results showed all the above mentioned “eat me” signals were significantly decreased in CED 6 knock out cell lines. Therefore CED 6 gene must have a role in cancer cell clearance, pathway involved in the cross talk between CED 6 and other genes in this process is a matter of farther investigation.
Longitudinal assessment of urinary PCA3 for predicting prostate cancer grade reclassification in favorable-risk men during active surveillance

To assess the utility of urinary prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) as both a one-time and longitudinal measure in men on active surveillance (AS). The Johns Hopkins AS program monitors men with favorable-risk prostate cancer with serial PSA, digital rectal examination (DRE), prostate magnetic resonance imaging and prostate biopsy. Since 2007, post-DRE urinary specimens have also been routinely obtained. Men with multiple PCA3 measures obtained over ⩾3 years of monitoring were included. Utility of first PCA3 score (fPCA3), subsequent PCA3 (sPCA3) and change in PCA3 were assessed for prediction of Gleason grade reclassification (GR, Gleason score >6) during follow-up. In total, 260 men met study criteria. Median time from enrollment to fPCA3 was 2 years (interquartile range (IQR) 1–3) and from fPCA3 to sPCA3 was 5 years (IQR 4–6). During median follow-up of 6 years (IQR 5–8), 28 men (11%) underwent GR. Men with GR had higher median fPCA3 (48.0 vs 24.5, P=0.007) and sPCA3 (63.5 vs 36.0, P=0.002) than those without GR, while longitudinal change in PCA3 did not differ by GR status (log-normalized rate 0.07 vs 0.06, P=0.53). In a multivariable model including age, risk classification and PSA density, fPCA3 remained significantly associated with GR (log(fPCA3) odds ratio=1.77, P=0.04). PCA3 scores obtained during AS were higher in men who underwent GR, but the rate of change in PCA3 over time did not differ by GR status. PCA3 was a significant predictor of GR in a multivariable model including conventional risk factors, suggesting that PCA3 provides incremental prognostic information in the AS setting.
Learning Research through an Individual MSW Thesis: Active Learning at Its Best

ABSTRACTThis article begins with a brief history of the thesis as a part of MSW education in the United States. The merits and challenges of completing a master’s thesis are detailed, with a focus on its role in engaging students in active learning. The concept of active learning is defined and applied to an analysis of how the thesis promotes higher-order learning. Active learning also fits well with the learning styles of millennial students. Several components of completing a thesis are then examined to illustrate its value (1) in enhancing critical thinking and expanding knowledge and skills, (2) in promoting conceptualization, (3) in reviewing the relevant literature, (4) in understanding and applying research ethics, 5) in understanding research methodology, and (6) in improving writing skills. The many opportunities presented in thesis projects for students are identified, along with challenges for thesis advisors.