cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoluminescence due to isoelectronic Te traps in CdS1−xSex and Zn1−y CdySe alloys

Efficient photoluminescence at 4.2°K due to Te substituted for S and/or Se has been observed in CdS1-xSex and Zn1-yCdySe alloys. A broad band corresponding to the one at 7300Ain CdS:Te is observed over the whole composition range of CdS1-xSex. Its wavelength is almost independent of x, indicating that the trapping energy of the Te level decreases with increasing Se content, as expected because Te differs less in electronegativity from Se than S.A. higher energy band, corresponding to the one at 6000Ain CdS:Te, is observed in alloys containing sufficient S (for example, those with 0<-x<-0.4 doped with 0.5 at %Te). In Zn1-yCdySe alloys doped with 5 at % Te, the higher energy band is not observed. The peak energy for the lower energy band, which is observed over the whole composition range, varies with y in the same manner as the energy gap, indicating that the energy of the Te trap is essentially independent of the Zn/Cd ratio.
Perennial Agroenergy Feedstocks as En Route Habitat for Spring Migratory Birds

Increased production of bioenergy crops in North America is projected to exacerbate already heavy demands upon existing agricultural landscapes with potential to impact biodiversity negatively. Grassland specialist birds are an imperilled avifauna for which perennial-based, next-generation agroenergy feedstocks may provide suitable habitat. We take a multi-scaled spatial approach to evaluate the ability of two candidate second-generation agroenergy feedstocks (switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, and mixed grass–forb plantings) to act as spring migratory stopover habitat for birds. In total, we detected 35 bird species in mixed grass–forb plantings and switchgrass plantings, including grassland specialists and species of state and national conservation concern (e.g., Henslow’s Sparrow, Ammodramus henslowii). Some evidence indicated that patches with higher arthropod food availability attracted a greater diversity of migrant bird species, but species richness, total bird abundance, and the abundance of grassland specialist species were similar in fields planted with either feedstock. Species richness per unit area (species density) was relatively higher in switchgrass fields. The percent land cover of forest in landscapes surrounding study fields was negatively associated with bird species richness and species density. Habitat patch size and within-patch vegetation structure were unimportant in predicting the diversity or abundance of spring en route bird assemblages. Our results demonstrate that both switchgrass and mixed grass–forb plantings can attract diverse assemblages of migrant birds. As such, industrialized production of these feedstocks as agroenergy crops has the potential to provide a source of en route habitat for birds, particularly where fields are located in relatively unforested landscapes. Because industrialization of cellulosic biomass production will favor as yet unknown harvest and management regimes, predicting the ultimate value of perennial-based biomass plantings for spring migrants remains difficult.
Dissemination of science, FUTON bias and open access: implications for evidence-based medicine

FUTON bias (short for Full Text On the Net bias) refers to the bias in academic research, when researchers are more likely to search and read what is available online, and ignore relevant studies that are available offline in printed format only. As a result, articles that are available as full text on the Internet have more visibility and impact, as they are more likely to be accessed, read, quoted, and incorporated into new research. Such research therefore risks being of limited value. FUTON bias is a result of several factors. Very few libraries in general have a full range of journals available, and if the article is available, it may be only in print or microform. FUTON bias tends to result in older sources getting less visibility, as they are less likely to have been digitized. Similarly, sources published in less developed countries are similarly adversely affected, as those countries tend to have less resources that can be spared for digitalization. No abstract available bias (NAA bias) is similar to FUTON bias: it occurs when an article has no abstract available online. Such articles, as well as those with unclear titles are also less likely to be accessed.
Internists: More Specialists or More Generalists?

Excerpt All of us who concern ourselves with the overall design and effectiveness of the American medical care enterprise owe a large debt to Dr. Alvin Tarlov and his colleagues. Starting with the ...
Update on Bioabsorbable Stents: From Bench to Clinical

Permanent metallic stents are associated with limitations such as continued mechanical stress, transfer to the tissue, and continued biological interaction with the surrounding tissue. They are also associated with late stent thrombosis and artifacts when non-invasive technologies such as MRI and MSCT are used. The potential advantages of bioabsorbable polymeric or metallic stents are to leave no stent behind, they are fully compatible with MRI and MSCT imaging, and are not associated with late stent thrombosis. This review covers the different stent programs as they move from bench to bed and clinical trials. Bioabsorbable stents are considered the next frontier of stenting and we will discuss their potential to fulfill this promise in interventional cardiology.
Multicultural Social Studies: Ideology and Practice

(1996). Multicultural Social Studies: Ideology and Practice. The Social Studies: Vol. 87, No. 2, pp. 81-87.
Computed tomographic evaluation of the early phase of adrenoleukodystrophy.

Analysis of computed tomograms of patients with adrenoleukodystrophy in the early disease phase reveals a dinstinct CT appearance. It is suggested that brain or adrenal biopsy may not be necessary for diagnosis of adrenoleukodystrophy when these particular CT features are correlated with the clinical course and other laboratory parameters.
AP-S workshops

The present status of MMIC-fed phased-arrays, is reviewed through the results of a workshop on the subject. Problem areas are identified and recommendations for future developments are presented. The paper addresses five aspects of the MMIC phased-array design: array architecture, MMIC-to-radiating -element interface, RF signal distribution, performance monitoring and fault isolation, and computer -aided design tools for MMIC arrays.
Reduced nicotine exposure and abstinence outcome in two nicotine fading methods.

Abstract Two methods of nicotine fading as a smoking cessation preparation technique were compared. A brand-switching procedure and a three-stage set of “Nicotine Faders” graduated filters were the preparation strategies. Both methods implemented a putative 30–50–80% nicotine exposure reduction schedule in three weekly phases. There were a total of 110 study participants (57 in brand switching) enrolled in eight clinic groups. Results indicated that at the 80% reduction level, meaningful reductions in nicotine (measured by its metabolite cotinine) and carbon monoxide (CO) exposure were measurable with both nicotine fading procedures. Overall pooled nicotine and CO exposure drops from baselines of 48.2% and 35.5%, respectively, were recorded. The abstinence outcome measures (pooled 1-year abstinence prevalence = 30.9%) were not significantly different between the two preparation strategies. Trends in nicotine and CO exposure drops, and abstinence outcome measures, however, were consistently in favor of the graduated filters. Potential advantages of filters in the context of a preparation-for-quitting strategy were suggested.
Short-hole jet-in-crossflow velocity field and its relationship to film-cooling performance

The velocity field of multiple jets-in-crossflow was examined experimentally for various jet hole supply plenum configurations using particle image velocimetry. The jet hydrodynamics are discussed in relation to implications on gas turbine film-cooling applications. The counter-flow plenum case produced desirable in-hole vortices of opposite rotational sense to that of the primary counter-rotating vortex pair (CRVP) in the jet. For this case, the interaction of in-hole vorticity and the CRVP weakened the CRVP, resulting in a lower trajectory and increased spanwise spreading. This is advantageous for film-cooling applications where surface coverage and jet attachment are necessary to prevent hot-gas penetration to the blade or vane surface.
Recovery of function after brain damage: Toward understanding the deficit

The present research was based on the proposition that understanding the process of recovery of function after brain injury is ultimately determined by defining the nature of the behavioral dysfunction. For example, the disruption of a learned brightness discrimination by visual decortication may reflect a loss of preoperative memories, the motivation to perform, or the ability to utilize available neural mechanisms. Depending upon which of these represents the behavioral deficit determines what controls recovery, simply because recovery would, respectively, involve relearning processes, motivational processes, or memory processes. Since we have previously demonstrated that the behavioral deficit is not a function of the loss of preoperatively established memory traces, the present research questioned whether the behavioral deficit might be characterized as: (1) a dysfunction in the motivation to perform or (2) a dysfunction in the ability to utilize what neural mechanisms were spared by the brain injury. Both of the experiments employed a proactive design strategy to test whether what was previously learned would affect subsequent behavior in the brain-damaged rat. In both experiments, such proactive effects were observed. Thus, the behavioral dysfunction following striate ablation is not due to a loss of memory, a failure of motivation, or a lack of utilization. On the basis of these data, it is then suggested that perhaps the behavioral deficit following sensory neocortical lesions might be best understood in view of transfer of training.
A Combinatorial Analog of the Jordan Curve Theorem

The concept of the genus of a pair of permutations is defined in the same manner as was done by Jacques. The integrality of the genus is proven in a new way by applying a technique developed by Walkup for the reduction of products of permutations. These tools are then used to prove an analog of the Jordan Curve Theorem for a pair of permutations whose genus is zero. A Jordan Curve Theorem for plane embeddings of graphs then follows as a corollary.
Determination of the Chemical Constituents and Spectral Properties of Commercial and NF Reference Standard Potassium Guaiacolsulfonate: Implications of the Findings on Compendial Analytical Methodology

HPLC analysis confirmed a difference in the chemical composition of commercial versus NF reference standard potassium guaiacolsulfonate. After separation by fractional crystallization, the two constituents comprising the former sample were identified by 1H-NMR as potassium guaiacol-4- and −5-sulfonate, respectively. The former isomer predominated. The reference standard material was identified as the 4-sulfonate salt by HPLC, NMR, IR, and UV. This difference raises questions concerning the validity of the compendial identification tests and assay procedure for the drug, which are based on methods requiring direct comparison between it and the reference standard. In fact, the IR test has now been shown to be unreliable as a rigorous criterion for identification, in light of significant differences found in the fingerprint regions of the spectra of the two isomers. However, because the two isomers exhibit identical UV absorption characteristics in solutions of pH -7 (but not in alkaline solution), the compendial UV identification test and assay procedure appear to be valid under the conditions specified. The pKa values of the isolated isomers were estimated by a spectrophotometric method to be 8.74 and 9.16 for the phenolic group of potassium guaiacol-4- and −5-sulfonate, respectively.
Optically Transparent Polyelectrolyte−Silica Composite Materials: Preparation, Characterization, and Application in Optical Chemical Sensing

A series of polyelectrolyte-containing silica composite materials have been prepared by sol−gel processing. These optically transparent composites have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and UV−visible spectrophotometry. These materials can be processed into monolithic disks and thin films. The thicknesses of spin-coated films of these materials on glass can be varied from 0.13 to 3.5 μm as determined by an optical interference method. These materials are ion exchangeable and less brittle than the parent silica glass due to the incorporation of the organic polyelectrolyte. These new composites retain the nanoscale porosity and optical transparency into the ultraviolet of the parent silica sol−gel glasses, making them attractive host matrixes for the immobilization of ionizable dye molecules and chemical reagents. An optical pH sensing platform (0.9 × 2.5 cm) based on the electrostatic immobilization of HPTS (8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid trisodium salt) in a PDMDAAC (poly(diallyld...
Rotational equilibria and low-order modes of a non-neutral ion plasma.

We study rotational equilibria and low-order electrostatic modes of a magnetically confined, non-neutral ion plasma. The plasma rotation rate is controlled with radiation pressure from a laser beam and is continuously varied over the entire allowed range, including Brillouin flow. Excitation of an asymmetric plasma mode by a static field asymmetry is observed. The symmetric quadrupole mode is also studied; its behavior is characteristic of a strongly magnetized plasma at low density, and of an unmagnetized plasma at Brillouin flow.
Holes in Hearing

performance was observed for NH and CI listeners, suggesting that the loss of spectral information was the primary cause of the effects. The Speech Intelligibility Previous experiments have demonstrated that the correct tonotopic representation of spectral information IndexwasabletoaccountforbothNHandCIlisteners’ results. No significant differences were observed
Observations of small-scale shear and density structure in the ocean

Abstract A free-falling vehicle was used to measure small-scale changes in density and horizontal velocity at three locations in the North Atlantic, one near Bermuda, one in the Gulf Stream, and one midway between. The mean square vertical shear (vertical gradient of horizontal velocity) was well correlated with the square of the mean Brunt-Vaisala frequency over 100-m segments of the profiles. A change in slope of the vertical wavenumber spectrum of the vertical shear was observed at about 0.1 cycles m −1 . Richardson numbers computed over 2 m were of order 1 with less than 5% below 0.25. Based on a mixing-length model, a tentative calculation of vertical eddy diffusivity yielded values of 0.1 to 0.4 cm 2 s −1 for the non-Gulf Stream sites. The Gulf Stream values were somewhat higher.
New Strategies for Cellular-Scale Imaging of Bone and Cartilage

Confocal microscopy can be used to obtain detailed, 3D-resolved images of cells inside bone and cartilage. However the high scattering coefficients of dense connective tissues often necessitate tis...
Expectations, Outcomes, and Medical Costs in Patients with Low Back Pain Referred to Physical Therapy

To describe treatment expectations among patients referred to physical therapy (PT) for low back pain (LBP) and to examine the relationship among expectations, outcomes, and medical care costs, 111 patients referred to PT for LBP within a managed care environment were studied in a prospective cohort study. Both χ2 and Student's t tests, as well as one-way analyses of variance, were used to assess bivariate differences in expectations, outcomes, and medical costs. A backward-stepping multivariate regression algorithm was used to assess the role of expectations, controlling for patient characteristics on (1) the change in patient-reported improvement between admission and discharge, and (2) annual medical expenditures. Patients' treatment expectations, pain levels, and functional levels were measured at the initial PT visit. Pain and functional status were also measured at PT discharge. Medical care expenditures were compiled for the 12 months following PT referral. Patients with the highest level of expect...
A Polish Doctor in the Nazi Camps: My Mother’s Memories of Imprisonment, Immigration, and a Life Remade. By Barbara Rylko-Bauer.

Many of us—historians, sociologists, and writers—have been touched by extraordinary people whose lives we feel compelled to document. Yet we are often hesitant to embark on projects that are deeply...
Inverse functions in ACL2(r)

ACL2(r) supports the definition of real-valued functions. In this paper, we introduce a theory of inverse functions into ACL2(r). The theory is developed in stages, from an abstract description of inverse functions, to a still abstract but more tractable treatment of the inverse of continuous functions. A macro is introduced to simplify the introduction of concrete inverse functions. We illustrate the approach by defining some inverse functions in ACL2, including the square root, natural logarithm, inverse sine, and inverse cosine functions.
Checkpointed early load retirement

Long-latency loads are critical in today's processors due to the ever-increasing speed gap with memory. Not only do these loads block the execution of dependent instructions, they also prevent other instructions from moving through the in-order reorder buffer (ROB) and retire. As a result, the processor quickly fills up with uncommitted instructions, and computation ultimately stalls. To attack this problem, we propose checkpointed early load retirement, a mechanism that combines register checkpointing and back-end .e., at retirement - load-value prediction. When a long-latency load hits the ROB head unresolved, the processor enters clear mode by (1) taking a checkpoint of the architectural registers, (2) supplying a load-value prediction to consumers, and (3) early-retiring the long-latency load. This unclogs the ROB, thereby "clearing the way" for subsequent instructions to retire, and also allowing instructions dependent on the long-latency load to execute sooner. When the actual value returns from memory, it is compared against the prediction. A misprediction causes the processor to roll back to the checkpoint, discarding all subsequent computation. The benefits of executing in clear mode come from providing early forward progress on correct predictions, and from warming up caches and other structures on wrong predictions. Our evaluation shows that a clear implementation with support for four checkpoints yields an average speedup of 1.12 for both eleven integer and eight floating-point applications (1.27 and 1.19 for five integer and five floating point memory-bound applications, respectively), relative to a contemporary out-of-order processor with an aggressive hardware prefetcher.
Development of a Cancer-Targeted Tissue-Specific Promoter System

Present cancer gene therapy using proapoptotic genes has had limited success because the therapy is prone to cause side effects as a result of the lack of tissue and cancer specificity. To target cancer cells without damaging normal cells, we have designed a novel dual promoter system in which a tissue-specific transcription system under the control of a cancer-specific promoter drives expression of a therapeutic gene. The applicability of this system was demonstrated by adapting it to target lung cancer. We termed this lung cancer system TTS (TTF1 gene under the control of human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter and human surfactant protein A1 promoter). The TTS system showed much higher promoter activity in lung cancer cells compared with other kinds of cancer and normal lung cells, including stem cells. Moreover, insertion of negative glucocorticoid responsive elements in the system allows it to be drug controllable. The approaches that we have used could be adapted to target other types of cancer. We report a novel cancer-targeted tissue-specific dual promoter system designed for gene therapy.
Optical studies of the internal electric field distributions of CdZnTe detectors under bias conditions

The internal electric field distributions of the CdZnTe (CZT) detectors under bias were characterized by optical polarized transmission at a 952 nm illumination utilizing the Pockels electro-optic effect. Two-dimensional (2D) images mapping the internal electrical field intensity changes were obtained to study the performance of CZT room-temperature radiation detectors. Planar and a P-I-N structured CZT detectors were investigated under different operating bias voltages. Analysis of optical profiles from a planar single crystal detector provides a quantitative nondestructive description of the electric field or voltage distributions inside a radiation detector. The P-I-N structured CZT detector showed a nearly uniform electric field in a width which varied with the operating bias voltage. An energyband model of a semiconductor junction with a depletion layer was employed to understand the results.
Reliable Change on the Boston Naming Test

Serial assessments are commonplace in neuropsychological practice and used to document cognitive trajectory for many clinical conditions. However, true change scores may be distorted by measurement error, repeated exposure to the assessment instrument, or person variables. The present study provides reliable change indices (RCI) for the Boston Naming Test, derived from a sample of 844 cognitively normal adults aged 56 years and older. All participants were retested between 9 and 24 months after their baseline exam. Results showed that a 4-point decline during a 9–15 month retest period or a 6-point decline during a 16–24 month retest period represents reliable change. These cutoff values were further characterized as a function of a person’s age and family history of dementia. These findings may help clinicians and researchers to characterize with greater precision the temporal changes in confrontation naming ability.
Performance of infrared systems in swimmer detection for maritime security

The detection of swimmer activity in harbor areas around piers and ships is an important aspect of Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) sensing efforts in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. A series of data collections and perception experiments were conducted to validate the use of thermal target acquisition models against swimmer targets. The results were analyzed to derive the discrimination criteria necessary for sensor design for maritime force protection.
On Being Bad While Doing Good: Pro Bono Clinical Work with Foster Children and Their Families

This paper will look at the experience of bad feelings and disappointments that arose despite the good intentions and generosity of providing pro bono treatment to foster children. Written in four segments by the founders of The Fostering Connection (formerly The Children's Psychotherapy Project, a program of A Home Within), the paper will explore the clinical, theoretical, and organizational aspects of this project. In the first part, we give a theoretical perspective followed by a report of some clinical work, and finally we offer some reflections on the development of our ideas to date including some thoughts about where we are headed. As psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapists, in the planning for this project we sought to bring our analytic point of view to the task of providing weekly psychotherapy to foster children and their families. For context, we will start by giving a description of how our organization works and a history of our ideas and evolution as a group.
The biogeography and ecology of myelin in marine copepods

Calanoid copepods are ubiquitous in marine environments, where they are an abundant component of the plankton. Interestingly, this crustacean group is characterized by the co-existence of myelinate and amyelinate species. Myelin greatly enhances nervous system function, but requires the production and maintenance of large amounts of cell membranes. The role that myelin plays in the distribution and ecology of calanoids has not been investigated, yet should be significant given the costs and benefits of the adaptation. Surveying the available literature, habitats and ecological zones were identified, and calanoid species were categorized as either myelinate or amyelinate based on phylogeny. The diversity and abundance of the two types of calanoids were determined and compared to an expected ratio of 1:1. Myelinate taxa were predominant in oceanic epipelagic regions at all latitudes, while a majority of vertically migrating mesopelagic calanoids were amyelinate. Temperate and tropical estuaries were typically less diverse, with communities dominated by amyelinate calanoids. However, in many sub-tropical estuaries, myelinate species comprised .80% of the calanoid population. An enhanced escape response and savings in energy may promote the success of myelinate calanoids in habitats characterized by high predation risk and low standing stocks of phytoplankton. Environments with low food quality may favor amyelinate species, given the cost of producing large quantities of lipid-rich membranes.
Angiogenesis in Skeletal Muscle Precede Improvements in Peak Oxygen Uptake in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients

Objective— Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is characterized by impaired blood flow to the lower extremities, causing claudication and exercise intolerance. The mechanism(s) by which exercise training improves functional capacity is not understood. This study tested the hypothesis that in PAD patients who undergo supervised exercise training, increases in capillary density (CD) in calf muscle take place before improvements in peak oxygen uptake (VO 2 ). Methods and Results— Thirty-five PAD patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of directly supervised or home-based exercise training. Peak VO 2 testing and gastrocnemius muscle biopsies were performed at baseline and after training. CD (endothelial cells/mm 2 ) was measured using immunofluorescence staining. After 3 weeks of directly supervised training, patients had an increase in CD (216±66 versus 284±77, P 2 . However, after 12 weeks, peak VO 2 increased (15.3±2.8 versus 16.8±3.8, P 2 before and after directly supervised training. Conclusion— Changes in CD in ischemic muscle with training may modulate the response to training, and those changes precede the increase in VO 2 .
A New Species of Henneguya (Myxozoa) in the Big-Eyed Scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) from Hawaii

We describe a new myxozoan, Henneguya akule n. sp., infecting the carangid fish Selar crumenophthalmus in Hawaii. Spores were found only in the aortic bulb, characterized by elliptical capsule with 2 tails, and pyriform polar capsules that angled toward the anterior end of the spore. Polar filaments had 3-4 coils. Parasites were present in apparently healthy fishes and caused no evident gross pathology. On microscopy, parasites evinced a mild inflammatory response in the host characterized by accumulations of eosinophilic fibrillar material around spores and a mononuclear infiltrate in the adventitia of the bulbus arteriosus. Overall prevalence was 20%, and prevalence between 2001 and 2006 ranged from 12 to 27%, but did not differ significantly between years. In contrast, prevalence of infection was highest in south-central Oahu. There was no relationship between infection status and body condition or gender of fish, and infection was absent in the smallest and largest fishes. Phylogenetically, H. akule n. sp. is most closely related to other Henneguya species infecting the heart of marine fishes based on ribosomal DNA analysis. This is the first documentation of a myxozoan parasite in marine fishes from Hawaii.
Applications of patient-specific CFD in medicine and life sciences

Recent advances in medical image segmentation, grid generation, flow solvers, realistic boundary conditions, fluid–structure interaction, data reduction and visualization arc reviewed with special emphasis on patient-specific flow prediction. At the same time, present shortcomings in each one of these areas are identified. Several examples are given that show that this methodology is maturing rapidly, and may soon find widespread use in medicine. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal Design of Antisymmetric Laminated Composite Plates

In this investigation, minimum weight d esign of laminated fiber reinforced composite plate sub- jected to inplane and transverse loading is attempted. Restrictions are imposed on buckling load and transverse deflection. Fiber orientation and thickness of each ply are t reated as design variables. Optimization studies a re carried out by using an unconstrained minimization technique. Numerical results have been obtained for anti- symmetric angle-ply l aminates treating number of plies as a parameter. Some of the observations are: (i) with preassigned fiber orientation, the optimum weight d esign results in a unique thickness distribution of plies; (ii) at low aspect ratios, stability constraint is active while deflection constraint is active at large aspect ratios.
La encuesta, herramienta cognitiva

Este articulo analiza la simplificacion que se produce al estudiar la encuesta en la perspectiva convencional y muestra la necesidad de considerarla desde una perspectiva cognitivoconstructivista. Ello implica entender que, como el iceberg, la encuesta esta dividida en dos partes: una visible, constituida por los procedimientos tecnico-estadisticos, y otra oculta, basada en los supuestos heuristicos y sociopoliticos sobre los que aquellos se sustentan. Dicho esto, se cuestionan los supuestos de base positivista —en lo metodologico— y liberal —en lo sociopolitico— que fundamentan el uso actual de la encuesta y se muestra la pertinencia de pensar en otros distintos, de naturaleza cognitivo-constructivista. A su vez, se introducen algunas consecuencias que tendria este cambio de supuestos sobre los procedimientos tal como ahora los conocemos. Por ultimo, el articulo reflexiona sobre el tipo de sociedad en el que se enmarcan los supuestos actuales y el tipo de sociedad en el que se enmarcarian los alternativos.
Implications and applications of systematic reviews for evidence-based dentistry and comparative effectiveness research: A sample study on antibiotics for oro-facial cellulitis treatment

Introduction: Comparative effectiveness and efficacy research for analysis and practice (CEERAP) was performed to assess the effects of penicillin-based versus erythromycin-based antibiotic treatments in patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) including cellulitis, impetigo, and erysipelas. Because SSTIs, especially orofacial cellulitis, are volatile infectious diseases of a life-threatening nature, research on the most efficacious remedies is necessary. Methods: The stringent bibliome yielded three systematic reviews, which were examined for quality of research synthesis protocol and clinical relevance. Results: The sample size of three, rendered the statistical analyses and cumulative meta-analysis problematic. Conclusion: The systematic review outlined here should aid in increasing clinical awareness, improving patient health literacy, and promoting consensus of the best evidence base (BEB) to mitigate the threat of sepsis and potential death caused by cellulitis infections.
Visual perceptions of snack packages among preschool children

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the perceptions of the visual packaging of snacks and nutrition knowledge among preschool children. Packages serve as persuasive media at the point of purchase. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper 13 interviews with four-year-olds were conducted. Children sorted seven snacks that implied fruit into categories based on perceptions of fun, taste, parent’s choice and “nutrition”. Children also drew trees with food that would make them healthy or not healthy. Findings – Children attended to the package elements more than the product. All children selected the character fruit snack as their preferred choice; however, perceptions for fun and taste varied among snacks. Perceptions of healthiness showed evidence of heuristics (e.g. sugar = bad; fruit = good). Some children were able to understand that their parents’ choices may be different from their own. Research limitations/implications – Because of the small sample size, it is not possible to generalize results to ...
Oxidant stress decreases Na+/H+ antiport activity in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells

We determined the effects of oxidant stress by the use of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) on Na+/H+ exchange in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Monolayers were exposed to the hydroperoxide, followed by measurement of intracellular pH and the rate of recovery from acidosis by utilizing the pH-sensitive probe 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)- carboxyfluorescein. t-BOOH (0.4 mM) decreased the rate of acid recovery after a 2-h exposure without evidence of overt cytotoxicity (51Cr-release assay). Glutathione repletion (N-acetyl-L-cysteine) abolished the effect of the hydroperoxide. Lowering intracellular glutathione with buthionine sulfoximine decreased the acid recovery rate at a dose of t-BOOH (0.04 mM) that was not normally associated with a change in this parameter. Preincubation with vitamin E had no protective effect. Dithiothreitol abolished the effect of the hydroperoxide, suggesting oxidation of protein sulfhydryl groups as a mechanism for the altered kinetics of acid recovery. There was no difference in cell buffering capacity between control and treated monolayers. The findings suggest that the decrease in Na+/H+ antiport activity in this model of oxidant stress represents an early perturbation of membrane function and illustrate the role of the glutathione redox system in maintaining the functional integrity of the Na+/H+ antiport in these cells.
Reliability assessment of an autonomous underwater vehicle propulsion by using electrical multi-phase drive

This paper investigates the reliability of 3-phase, 2×3-phase and 5-phase inverters for a marine propulsion application. Analytical formulae and thermal model are used to assess the junction temperature of the semiconductors. The overall failure rate of the inverter is calculated by using the individual failure rate of each semiconductor, which depends on its junction temperature. In case of open-phase fault, state transition diagrams show the reconfiguration capabilities and Markov models are used to quantify the reliability improvement of 5-phase system with respect to 2 × 3-phase and 3-phase systems. This enhancement obtained by changing the current control strategy makes the motor to operate with reduced but sufficient performances.
Litter use by laying hens in a commercial aviary: dust bathing and piling

The laying hen industry, including in the United States, is responding to social concerns about hen welfare by implementing alternative housing systems such as the aviary, to provide more space and resources to large groups of hens. Data detailing the behavior of hens in commercial aviaries is needed to determine hens' use of the resources in order to understand their impact on hen welfare. The open litter area of aviaries provides additional space for hens during the day. Litter is also a substrate for dust bathing which is a strongly motivated natural behavior. Hens are often synchronous in their performance of dust bathing, which may lead to overcrowding in the litter area. Additionally, the open litter area can facilitate expression of unusual behavior such as flock piling (defined as the occurrence of densely grouped clusters of hens, resulting from no obvious cause and occurring randomly throughout the day and flock cycle) which may be a welfare concern. Therefore, we conducted observations of hen occupancy of the open litter area and the performance of dust bathing and flock piling across 3 production points (peak lay, mid lay and end of lay) for two flocks of Lohmann White laying hens housed in a commercial aviary. All areas of the open litter area were occupied to the same degree. Hens performed dust bathing throughout the day but showed peak dust bathing activity in the afternoon for Flock 1 (all P < 0.001) and in the late morning for Flock 2 (all P < 0.001). Overall, 174 incidents of piling behavior were observed between the 2 flocks, with piles varying in size, duration, and time of occurrence; however, no smothering was detected. Crowding on the open litter area sometimes occurred during peak periods of synchronous dust bathing and when hens piled. Further research is needed to understand the welfare implications of individual hen use of the open litter area and the causes and welfare implications of hen piling.
Failure Hypothesis for Masonry Shear Walls

Various failure hypotheses for wall panels subjected simultaneously to diagonal compressive load and to vertical compressive edge load are compared with the results of 32 tests on four types of brick masonry walls which were published elsewhere. It is concluded that failure can occur by joint separation or by splitting. A failure hypothesis is advanced which is shown to be in good agreement with the test results examined.
Dynamic Template for Assembling Nanoparticles into Highly Ordered Two-Dimensional Arrays of Different Structures

The proper assembly of nanoparticles can enhance their properties and improve their applicability. Likewise, imprudent assembly can damage the unique properties of the nanomaterials. Accordingly, finding robust techniques for making ordered assemblies of nanoparticles is a hot topic in materials science research. In this work, the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique was used to assemble polyethylene glycol (PEG)-functionalized gold nanocubes (AuNCs) into highly packed two-dimensional (2D) arrays with different structures. This technique is based on creating polymeric micelles within the AuNC monolayer, which drives the nanocubes to assemble into a highly packed structure even at low LB surface pressures. Interestingly, the micelles could be made more diffuse by changing the LB trough surface pressure, which allowed for tuning the width and the structure of the AuNC 2D arrays. The areas occupied by the micelles appeared as voids that separated the AuNC arrays and prevented the formation of a uniform monolayer...
Computed tomography for screening purposes: a review of the literature--2003

This paper reviews the scientific literature on four procedures: Coronary Calcium Scoring (CCS), Lung Cancer Screening (LCS), Computed Tomographic Colonography (CTC), and Whole Body Computed Tomography (WBCT). No published studies demonstrate that these procedures reduce morbidity or mortality when used to screen healthy, asymptomatic patients.
Archaeological Survey for Two Pipeline Crossings at Venado Creek, Jackson County, Texas

The Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio, investigated the cultural resource potential of two proposed pipeline crossings along Venado Creek in Jackson County, Texas, for Mobil Exploration & Producing U. S. Inc. Surface surveys and shovel tests were performed at both crossings during the investigation. No cultural materials were encountered within the proposed impact zones, which were observed to have been substantially disturbed in recent decades by natural and artificial activities. Thus, no further archaeological work is recommended prior to or during the pending construction.
Caste Determination in Honeybees: The Production of Queen-Worker Intermediates

SummaryA technique of rearing worker larvae in drone cells placed in a colony with a normal proportion of young bees and very few larvae is reported. It resulted in the production of queen-worker intermediates. Details are of the three types of adult produced (queen, worker, intermediate), as identified by (a) the size and shape of the abdomen, (b) the presence or absence of notching on the mandibles, (c) the presence or absence of corbiculae on the metathoracic legs, (d) the shape of the sting, (e) the number of ovarioles in the ovary, and (f) the extent of differentiation of the spermatheca. More larval food was placed by the nurse bees in drone cells containing worker larvae than in worker cells with worker larvae, and it is suggested than an abundance of food supplied to the larvae under the experimental conditions resulted in an abnormal production of intermediates.
Prologue Napoleon and the French Revolution

In the beginning was the Revolution. And at the end as well. For contemporaries Napoleon was the militant Revolution incarnate, not another dynast aggrandizing his territory, capturing subjects to tax. The fear he instilled in the kings, the priests, and the elites of the ancien regime was not just that he would destroy their armies or make them vassals, although he certainly did so. The greater threat was that he would make their states into revolutionized France, destroy privilege, unleash the resentments of subjects long repressed. Liberte, egalite, fraternite would replace ‘the king is dead, long live the king’. The will of the people would replace God’s will. Those who were last would come first, centuries of social hierarchy marked and rewarded with privileges would disappear. Napoleon was the Revolution on horseback.
Friendship, Romance, and Romantic Friendship

When Moscow University was struck by a cholera epidemic in 1830, it closed its doors for much of the academic year. Students were forbidden from seeing one another, some were quarantined, and others were sent away. Ia. I. Kostenetskii described in his memoir how this isolation caused him great distress; he longed to see his friend Aleksei Topornin. Once the cholera restrictions were relaxed, Kostenetskii recalled running to the home of Professor Pogodin — where Topornin resided — just to get a glimpse of his friend at the door. When he did, the two young men, ‘not putting down each other’s hands,’ talked for a few minutes and then were forced to part ‘with tears in their eyes.’3 Kostenetskii’s description of this reunion illustrates the vocabulary of friendship among men in these decades — the tears, the pain at separation, and the affection expressed in holding each other’s hands.
cAMP Sensor Epac and Gastrointestinal Function

The discovery in 1998 of the exchange proteins directly activated by cyclic AMP (Epac) added a new dimension to our understanding of cyclic nucleotide signal transduction. In this regard, it is now recognized that the cAMP-dependent activation of Epac can explain what were previously considered to be mysterious PKA- and CNG-independent actions of cAMP. Available evidence indicates that most if not all signaling properties of Epac are explained by their abilities to act as cAMP-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factors (cAMP-GEFs) to catalyze the exchange of GDP for GTP on Rap GTPases, thereby activating them. Exactly how Epac-dependent Rap activation translates into major alterations of cellular function is an active field of investigation, and studies of this sort have been aided by the development of cAMP analogs that activate Epac but not PKA or CNGs. One such Epac-selective cAMP analog (ESCA) is 8-pCPT-2′- O -Me-cAMP. It has been used in numerous studies of ion channel or ion transporter regulation, cytosolic Ca 2+ signaling, exocytosis, growth, differentiation, and survival. Presented here is an overview of the Epac signal transduction mechanism, with special emphasis on the emerging role Epac proteins play in gastrointestinal physiology.
76 – Research in Fetal Surgery

Fetal wound healing represents a unique physiologic response characterized by enhanced regeneration rather than scar formation, minimal inflammatory changes, and decreased levels of certain growth factors. The study of this phenomenon has improved the understanding of the normal process of adult wound healing as well as pathologic phenomena such as hypertrophic scar formation and nonhealing wounds. Until recently, surgical treatment of a fetus was only theoretical. Minimal information regarding the health of the intrauterine gestation and the difficulty with access to the fetus made therapeutic manipulation impossible. Treatment was limited to chemotherapy for fatal infectious disease and hormonal supplementation for certain endocrine disorders, but the effort was directed primarily toward treatment of the mother, with the fetus benefiting only secondarily. With the recent expansion in diagnostic modalities such as fetal ultrasound and prenatal screening for genetic and metabolic disorders, diagnosis of anatomic malformations and other life threatening conditions is routinely made prior to birth. The possibility of prenatal intervention to either save the fetus' life or ameliorate the postnatal morbidity of disease has now become a reality. Animal models for fetal surgery have paved the way for therapeutic intervention in humans.
Immunobiology of Hepatitis Viruses

Hippocrates described the existence of agents capable of causing epidemic jaundice as early as 400BC. Further outbreaks of catarrhal jaundice during World War II, the distinction of “infectious” and “serum” hepatitis by Krugman, the discovery of the Australia antigen by Blumberg and colleagues and the identification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) as the major cause of posttransfusion hepatitis by Houghton have resulted in vast increases in our knowledge of viral hepatitis. Intense research into the molecular structures, biological life cycles, and mechanisms of disease has occurred over the past 30 years (1, 2). Researchers have made full use of epidemiological studies, clinical research trials and technologies such as animal models, tissue culture and human studies to develop sensitive and specific diagnostics tests, effective antiviral therapies and in the cases of hepatitis A and B viruses, (HAV, HBV) safe and effective vaccines. Despite the wealth of knowledge regarding the molecular biology of the viruses and the medical importance of the disease, the interactions between the immune system and hepatitis viruses, and mechanisms of viral persistence are not completely understood, largely because of in-efficient or non-existent culture systems for viral propagation and absence of reagents for analysis of the immune responses in existing animal models.
Do Memory B Cells Form Secondary Germinal Centers? Impact of Antibody Class and Quality of Memory T-Cell Help at Recall

Antigen recall can clearly induce a germinal center (GC) reaction. What has become an issue for debate are the origins of the antigen-specific B cells that form memory-response GCs (mGCs). Using antigen labeling and adoptive transfer, memory B cells expressing different antibody class can give rise to mGCs with differing efficiency. Here, we will argue that the range of class-specific memory responses reported across multiple systems represents the spectrum of memory B-cell fate and function. While the formulation of recall immunogen and location of mGCs have an important role, we propose that effective cognate regulation is the key variable influencing recall outcome. These issues remain central to contemporary efforts of rational vaccine design.