cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Forest restoration, wildfire, and habitat selection by female mule deer

Abstract Decades of fire suppression, logging, and overgrazing have led to increased densities of small diameter trees which have been associated with decreases in biodiversity, reduced habitat quality for wildlife species, degraded foraging conditions for ungulates, and more frequent and severe wildfires. In response, land managers are implementing forest restoration treatments using prescribed fire and thinning to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires and improve habitat conditions for a variety of wildlife species. We monitored habitat selection by female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in relation to forest restoration treatments and wildfires in northern New Mexico in 2015. Our specific objectives were to assess changes in forage abundance and determine habitat selection patterns of mule deer in relation to recent wildfires, forest restoration treatments, including duration of the post-treatment recovery, and other habitat characteristics. Herbaceous forage biomass was greater in wildfire-burned areas than in untreated areas or those treated with prescribed burns or thinning. Oak forage biomass was greater in wildfire-burned areas compared to prescribed burns, forest thinning, and untreated areas. However, thinned areas tended to have higher oak forage biomass than untreated areas. Mule deer selected for areas burned by prescribed fire and generally avoided wildfire-burned and thinned areas
Applications of synchrotron µ-XRF to study the distribution of biologically important elements in different environmental matrices: A review.

Environmental matrices including soils, sediments, and living organisms are reservoirs of several essential as well as non-essential elements. Accurate qualitative and quantitative information on the distribution and interaction of biologically significant elements is vital to understand the role of these elements in environmental and biological samples. Synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence (µ-SXRF) allows in situ mapping of biologically important elements at nanometer to sub-micrometer scale with high sensitivity, negligible sample damage and enable tuning of the incident energy as desired. Beamlines in the synchrotron facilities are rapidly increasing their analytical versatility in terms of focusing optics, detector technologies, incident energy, and sample environment. Although extremely competitive, it is now feasible to find stations offering complimentary techniques like micro-X-ray diffraction (µ-XRD) and micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy (µ-XAS) that will allow a more complete characterization of complex matrices. This review includes the most recent literature on the emerging applications and challenges of µ-SXRF in studying the distribution of biologically important elements and manufactured nanoparticles in soils, sediments, plants, and microbes. The advantages of using µ-SXRF and complimentary techniques in contrast to conventional techniques used for the respective studies are discussed (review).
Epilogue: Children's Rights--Now Is the Time!.

This article identifies major themes present in and across the other articles of this mini-series. The necessity and opportunity to advance children's rights through education are emphasized. The s...
Instability of the f -electron state in URu 2 Si 2 − x P x probed using high magnetic fields

The widely studied hidden-order phase in ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ exemplifies a broad class of emergent macroscopic states originating from $d$- and $f$-electron orbitals and their collective modes. This naturally has resulted in a focus on the associated elements (i.e., U and Ru), but recently it was discovered that electronic tuning on the more passive $s$ and $p$ orbitals fundamentally alters the electronic behavior and thus opens opportunities to disentangle the hidden-order conundrum. Here we present a detailed magnetoresistivity study of ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{P}}_{x}$, which focuses on two important aspects of this topic. First, we show that the anisotropy of the high field ordered states is preserved after hidden order is destroyed by Si $\ensuremath{\rightarrow}$ P chemical substitution, suggesting that this feature is mainly associated with the Kondo lattice, i.e., not hidden order itself. Second, Shubnikov--de Haas oscillations reveal that the observable parts of the Fermi surface topography are robust upon approaching the hidden-order phase boundary and the associated quasiparticle masses remain roughly constant. These observations place constraints on theories and prepare a path towards a resolution to the hidden-order problem.
Sip-and-Puff Autonomous Wheelchair for Individuals with Severe Disabilities

Sip-and-Puff controlled wheelchairs enable individuals with severe disabilities to gain some mobility and autonomy. However, Sip-and-Puff controlled wheelchairs are cumbersome to use, causing fatigue and discomfort after prolonged use. To remedy this issue, an autonomous wheelchair with a Sip-and-Puff interface is proposed. An improved design, that requires the Sip-and-Puff device to select a destination, is presented in this paper. Once the destination is selected, further input is not required since the autonomous navigation system performs the navigation to the destination. Ten trials were conducted to test the autonomous navigation capabilities of the new wheelchair. The wheelchair successfully navigated the path of 10.26 meters in 100% of the trials with no collisions. The average time to navigate to the destinations was 28.6 seconds. Ten trials were conducted to test the Sip-and-Puff device as well as the efficacy of the user interface. The average time to select a destinations using the Sip-and-Puff device was 6.3 seconds. The average time for the user to cancel navigation and select a new destination was 4.86 seconds. These results show promise of greatly improving usability compared to conventional Sip-and-Puff controlled wheelchairs. The destination selection time and rerouting times are shorter due to the simple design of user interface and the overall navigation times are shorter due to the autonomous navigation system.
The Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Characterized by a Minimum 3 Percent Oxygen Desaturation or Arousal Hypopnea Definition and Hypertension.

Study Objectives:The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hypertension in prior studies has been determined using a definition of hypopnea requiring a 4% O2 desaturation. However, ...
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy or chemoradiation for locally advanced nasal and paranasal sinus tumors

6055 Background: The treatment of locally advanced nasal and paranasal sinus tumors is controversial. The disease is chemosensitive and there is increasing interest in the use of chemotherapy with ...
Acute Kidney Recovery in Patients Who Underwent Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (from the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group).

Acute kidney recovery (AKR) is a recently described phenomenon observed after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and is more frequent than acute kidney injury (AKI). To determine the incidence and predictors of AKR between surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and TAVR, we examined patients with chronic kidney disease and severe aortic stenosis who underwent SAVR or TAVR procedure between 2007 and 2017; excluding age 90, dialysis, endocarditis, non-aortic valve stenosis, or patients died within 48-hours postprocedure. AKR was defined as an increase of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >25% and AKI as decrease in eGFR >25% at discharge. Stroke, mortality, major bleeding, transfusion, and length of stay were examined. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine predictors of AKR. There were 750 transcatheter and 1,062 surgical patients and 319 pairs after propensity matching. AKR was observed in 26% TAVR versus 23.2% SAVR, p = 0.062. Highest recovery was in patients with eGFR
Venezuela 2019: A Tale of Two Presidents

Despues de que el lider de la oposicion Juan Guaido desafio el liderazgo de Nicolas Maduro en enero de 2019, ?que ha sucedido en Venezuela a nivel politico, economico y social? ?cual ha sido la respuesta internacional a la crisis venezolana? Este articulo tiene como objetivo proporcionar una vision general de los procesos internos que tuvieron lugar en Venezuela en 2019. Comienza destacando el desafio politico y constitucional al regimen autocratico de Nicolas Maduro. Luego, examina los principales problemas socioeconomicos de Venezuela, y como la comunidad internacional reacciono a estos desafios. La seccion final discute la situacion actual del regimen y el de la oposicion tras un ano de intentos de dialogos y negociacion.
Foaming of polymers with carbon dioxide – The year-in-review – 2019

Abstract This is a review article focused on publications that appeared in 2019 to serve as a critical assessment and summary of observations of the most recent trends in polymer foaming research with the physical blowing agent carbon dioxide. The factors that drive research along with the challenges and approaches to address them to advance the field are presented as they pertain to foaming of (1) biodegradable polymers, (2) polyurethanes, (3) commodity polymers, as well as the (4) generation of functionally gradient foams, (5) development of unique experimental systems, and (6) efforts directed on modeling. Critical perspectives are provided on how the polymer foam morphology is modulated or altered by polymer structure, polymer crystallinity, nucleating agents, or degree of curing.
Master's in Economics Programs: Comparing Canada and the United States

The authors compare various characteristics of terminal master's of economics programs in Canada and the United States. As far as they know, this is the first article to present results from a survey of Canadian master's programs in economics. Using a Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test, they found significant differences between the Canadian and U.S. programs. All of the Canadian master's of economics programs in their sample are in public institutions, and the majority of their programs are located in colleges of arts and sciences. Canadian programs seem to have higher admission standards and are more likely to offer teaching and research assistantships. A higher percentage of the graduates of Canadian programs are placed in careers in government, whereas a higher percentage of U.S. program graduates are placed in the private sector. In addition to these and other statistically significant differences, the results also illustrate that in a large number of areas the Canadian and U.S. programs are similar.
Wind-driven rain on buildings: Accuracy of the ISO semi-empirical model

Abstract Previous studies have shown that the accuracy of the ISO semi-empirical wind-driven rain (WDR) model can be improved by applying more detailed wall factors determined based on high-resolution field measurements. However, discrepancies between measurements and predictions still exist. The availability of high-resolution WDR field data collected over a long period of time makes a detailed analysis possible. Field measurements of WDR on two mid-rise and one high-rise buildings in three Canadian regions over a year and a half were analyzed. Two main factors that can significantly improve the ISO WDR model were identified, i.e. the time resolution (5 ​min data vs. hourly data) and the correction of difference in wind speed and wind direction between the building site and weather station using hourly data. It is recommended to take WDR measurements at shorter-duration and calculate wall factors using both shorter-duration records and hourly averaged data. In general, the ISO model works well if all the differences in wind conditions between site and the weather station can be taken into account. The observed discrepancy can be reduced to within 2% for facades facing the prevailing wind-direction, while to about 60% for facades off the prevailing wind direction in complex urban settings.
Comparing Expression of OAS-RNaseL Pathway-Related Genes in SARS-CoV-2 and Similar Viruses

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has been a major public health emergency and has caused millions of deaths worldwide to date. Due to the novel nature of the virus, efforts across the world are underway to better understand the molecular pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and how it interacts with host immune responses. One important branch of the innate immune response, the interferon system, triggers the expression of many effector mechanisms known to be powerful antagonists against many pathogenic viruses. One such interferon stimulated mechanism is the OAS-RNaseL pathway, which is known to trigger the degradation of viral RNA in infected host cells. Our study seeks to utilize publicly available transcriptomic data to analyze the host cell OAS-RNaseL pathway to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We hoped to gain an understanding of the importance of the pathway in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection and whether or not the pathway could be exploited therapeutically. Our findings demonstrated that upregulation of OAS-RNaseL pathway genes in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection varies based on cell type and appeared to correlate with ACE2 receptor expression. Pathway responses to other viruses like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV were found to parallel those to SARS-CoV-2, suggesting common response patterns by the pathway to these viruses. Overall, these results demonstrate that the OAS-RNaseL pathway could contribute to control of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further studies on various mechanistic actions by the pathway would need to be conducted to fully understand its role in host defense and therapy.
Audit Quality Inputs and Financial Statement Reliability

Using Amiram, Bozanic, and Rouen’s (2015) measures of the conformity of a firm’s distribution of financial statement line items’ leading digits to the Benford distribution, we examine whether different constructs of audit quality inputs are related to financial statement reliability. Overall, we find that financial statement reliability increases with audit fees, non-audit fees, and audit report lag, and decreases with audit firm tenure. We also find that audit quality inputs are more strongly associated with income statement reliability than with cash flow statement reliability. In addition, we demonstrate that the impact of each audit quality input on overall financial statement reliability does not vary with audit firm size, defined as an audit firm’s Big 4 membership. Our results are robust to various alternative specifications of the dependent and the independent variables. Using a century-old measure that recently attracted interest, our findings corroborate the significant role that auditors play in enhancing the reliability of financial statements.
Electrocatalytic Water Splitting (H 2 O → H 2 +½ O 2 )

Artificial photosynthesis (AP) using solar energy to convert H2O into H2 (a fuel) and O2 is a most promising approach to a carbon-neutral cycle and scalable energy storage. Electrocatalysis provides an attractive candidate route to AP, which could extend to all intermittent renewable energy resources. A major challenge in renewable energy technology is water splitting, which uses solar radiation to photoelectrochemically convert water molecules into H2 (a fuel) and O2. Here both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) present challenges for the catalysts. The detailed reaction mechanisms had not yet been established for either one. We did the first mechanisms under electrochemical conditions and including free energy reaction barriers for the transition states for both systems. Here we separately consider the two electrochemical half-reactions, HER and OER, which require drastically different catalysts for optimal performance.
Development and Validation of Urological and Appearance Domains of the Post-Affirming Surgery Form and Function Individual Reporting Measure (AFFIRM) for Transwomen following Genital Surgery

Purpose:As feminizing gender-affirming surgery becomes increasingly accessible, functional outcomes are increasingly relevant. We aimed to develop and validate the first patient-reported outcome qu...
Persistent sexually dimorphic effects of adolescent THC exposure on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and episodic memory in rodents

There is evidence that cannabis use during adolescence leads to memory and cognitive problems in young adulthood but little is known about effects of early life cannabis exposure on synaptic operations that are critical for encoding and organizing information. We report here that a 14-day course of daily Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol treatments administered to adolescent rats and mice (aTHC) leads to profound but selective deficits in synaptic plasticity in two axonal systems in female, and to lesser extent male, hippocampus as assessed in adulthood. Adolescent-THC exposure did not alter basic synaptic transmission (input/output curves) and had only modest effects on frequency facilitation. Nevertheless, aTHC severely impaired the endocannabinoid-dependent long-term potentiation in the lateral perforant path in females of both species, and in male mice; this was reliably associated with impaired acquisition of a component of episodic memory that depends on lateral perforant path function. Potentiation in the Schaffer-commissural (SC) projection to field CA1 was disrupted by aTHC treatment in females only and this was associated with both a deficit in estrogen effects on SC synaptic responses and impairments to CA1-dependent spatial (object location) memory. In all the results demonstrate sexually dimorphic and projection system-specific effects of aTHC exposure that could underlie discrete effects of early life cannabinoid usage on adult cognitive function. Moreover they suggest that some of the enduring, sexually dimorphic effects of cannabis use reflect changes in synaptic estrogen action.
Are crabs stressed for water on a hot sand flat? Water loss and field water state of two species of intertidal fiddler crabs

Abstract Field measures of stress are needed to understand the role of behavior in stress and how behavior trades off with overall fitness. Along Atlantic shores, displaying and reproductive burrow-occupying males of the fiddler crab Uca pugilator live in high intertidal dry sandy sediments, whereas Uca pugnax live in lower intertidal wetter muddy substrata. Water loss was examined in the lab for both species. Water loss of U. pugilator males was approximately linear with time and crabs regained water completely after 2 h of rehydration. Percent water loss was inversely correlated with body mass, irrespective of sex. Males of the higher intertidal U. pugilator lost proportionally less water over time than U. pugnax, which occupies muddier and wetter sediments. A field test of water state on a hot day demonstrated that males of either species seen at the surface next to mating burrows were not stressed for water, suggesting that behavior compensated adequately for water loss when displaying in the sun on the surface. Behavior can therefore compensate for what appears to be a stressful environment. However, such compensation likely comes at the cost of reproductive success, which depends upon remaining on the sediment surface in open stressful conditions. Large-sized males may be more successful in breeding territories owing to their proportionately lower water loss.
Iwasawa Theory of Local Units

Iwasawa [Iw 8], [Iw 10] developed a theory of local units analogous to the global theory, taking projective limits, especially in the cyclotomic tower, and getting the structure of this projective limit modulo the closure of the cyclotomic units. He considers eigenspaces for the characters of Gal(K0/Q p ) where K0 = Q p (ζ) with a primitive pth root of unity ζ. Since the cyclotomic units are essentially real, we consider only even non-trivial characters. Then the eigen-space is isomorphic to Λ/(g), where g is a power series which is essentially the p-adic L-function.
Science Policy through the Lens of U.S. Domestic Climate Change Litigation

The direction and scope of scientific research is shaped by a number of factors, from government grant support to university undertakings to industry-supported interests to litigation-initiated scientific research. Climate change science is one important example of this dynamic development of scientific research. Although initial climate change research has been shaped predominately by government funding of research grants as well as academic and industry research and development, the advent of significant numbers of climate change-related lawsuits have added to the amount of scientific information generated regarding the effects of, and responses to, climate change.This article highlights the impact that recent climate change cases, both international and domestic, have had on overall climate change research policy in the United States. It first provides some brief background on the theories underlying science policy development, as well as current government grant-funded initiatives to direct climate change research. This article then discusses the phenomenon of litigation-initiated climate-change science policy, exploring in a qualitative manner how a number of climate-change related cases may have influence the direction of scientific research beyond that generated earlier through grant-funded research. Finally, this article begins to develop ways to eventually evaluate more fully the impact of climate change litigation on scientific research development.
Chromosome Banding Techniques

Chromosome banding techniques produce a series of consistent landmarks along the length of metaphase chromosomes that allow for both recognition of individual chromosomes within a genome and identification of specific segments of individual chromosomes. These landmarks facilitate assessment of chromosome normalcy, identification of sites of chromosome breaks and alterations, and location of specific genes. This unit covers these basic banding techniques (Q-banding, G-banding, and R-banding), which produce virtually identical patterns of bands along the length of human chromosomes, although the bands and polymorphic regions highlighted may differ with each technique. These techniques highlight reproducible landmarks along the length of the chromosome and specialized staining techniques can be used to highlight particular regions of chromosomes, such as heterochromatic and repeated-sequence segments. These specialized techniques, nucleolar organizer region (NOR) staining, centromeric heterochromatin staining (C-banding), methylated satellite DNA staining (distamycin-DAPI banding), and replication banding are also presented in this unit.
An n-country model of strategic emissions abatement: feedback strategies and cooperation

The present paper proposes a dynamic framework for the analysis of emissions abatement by different countries. Unlike many related works, it emphasizes the non-cooperative aspects of this issue. We derive the feedback Nash equilibrium as well as the cooperative emissions paths. Under the cooperative scenario, pollution is always lower: the international agency imposes lower emissions to the countries in early periods. Surprisingly enough, emissions might be higher in very distant periods under the cooperative scenario. A transfer scheme allowing to achieve global effciency is proposed.
Prolonged Antigen Persistence Within Nonterminal Late Endocytic Compartments of Antigen-Specific B Lymphocytes

Although Ag-specific B lymphocytes can process Ag and express peptide-class II complexes as little as 1 h after Ag exposure, it requires 3-5 days for the immune system to develop a population of Ag-specific effector CD4 T lymphocytes to interact with these complexes. Presently, it is unclear how B cells maintain the expression of cell surface antigenic peptide-class II complexes until effector CD4 T lymphocytes become available. Therefore, we investigated B cell receptor (BCR)-mediated Ag processing and presentation by normal B lymphocytes to determine whether these cells have a mechanism to prolong the cell surface expression of peptide-class II complexes derived from the processing of cognate AG: Interestingly, after transit of early endocytic compartments, internalized Ag-BCR complexes are delivered to nonterminal late endosomes where they persist for a prolonged period of time. In contrast, Ags internalized via fluid phase endocytosis are rapidly delivered to terminal lysosomes and degraded. Moreover, persisting Ag-BCR complexes within nonterminal late endosomes exhibit a higher degree of colocalization with the class II chaperone HLA-DM/H2-M than with the HLA-DM/H2-M regulator HLA-DO/H2-O. Finally, B cells harboring persistent Ag-BCR complexes exhibit prolonged cell surface expression of antigenic peptide-class II complexes. These results demonstrate that B lymphocytes possess a mechanism for prolonging the intracellular persistence of Ag-BCR complexes within nonterminal late endosomes and suggest that this intracellular Ag persistence allows for the prolonged cell surface expression of peptide-class II complexes derived from the processing of specific AG:
Discretized Abelian Chern-Simons gauge theory on arbitrary graphs

Motivated by a deeper understanding of strongly interacting topological phases and fractional Chern insulators the authors propose a formulation of a discretized Chern-Simon theory on random lattices and graphs.
Carotid artery stenting: Optimizing patient selection and technique

Complex arch anatomy (type 2, type 3) and bovine configuration were identified in 34.4% and 20.5% of carotid stent patients, respectively. Catheter manipulation time (CMT), rather than arch complexity per se, was the only independent predictor of adverse events after carotid stenting. Careful attention to patient selection, preprocedural planning, and stent technique are important to ensure success.
The pharmacokinetics and toxicity of murine monoclonal antibodies and of gelonin conjugates of these antibodies

Abstract We studied in mice the in vivo pharmacokinetics and toxicity of murine monoclonal antibodies (MCA) and of disulfide-linked MCA conjugates of gelonin, a ribosomal inhibitor prepared from the seeds of Gelonium multiflorum . Iodinated MCA with specificity for human determinants and of gamma 1 or gamma 2 a isotype had a circulatory half life (T 1 2 ) in the mouse of 4 days, which is consistent with previously published estimates of the circulatory T 1 2 of heterogeneous murine IgG. Iodinated murine MCA with specificity for murine determinants had a much shorter T 1 2 , probably reflecting antigen binding. This effect could be partially overcome by the simultaneous injection of unlabeled MCA of identical specificity. Clearance of MCA-gelonin conjugates was characterized by an initial rapid phase lasting 8–12 h with a T 1 2 or from 4 to 7 h, followed by a slower clearance phase with T 1 2 approaching that of MCA. Moreover, the presence of significant amounts of intact conjugate in the murine circulation was demonstrable, by SDS gel electrophoresis, for up to 48 h post injection. Intraperitoneal injection of MCA-gelonin conjugate resulted in circulating levels identical to those achieved after i.v. administration after an initial 4 h equilibration. The LD50 of MCA-gelonin conjugates was approximately 25 mg/kg (i.v.) while that of gelonin was approximately 75 mg/kg (i.v.) MCA alone showed no toxicity in doses in excess of 150 mg/kg. At doses below the LD50 immunoconjugates caused a dose-dependent reversible weight loss. The main site of toxicity of MCA-gelonin conjugates was the liver; histopathological examination revealed dose-dependent foci of necrosis and acute inflammation. No pathology was observed in lung, spleen, kidney, gut or brain. The relationship to previous work in this area is discussed.
Nexus 2000 Round Table Discussion Methodology in Architecture and Mathematics

The Nexus 2000 round table discussion on methodology in architecture and mathematics took place on Tuesday 6 June during the course of the Nexus 2000 conference in Ferrara, Italy. Moderated by Carol Martin Watts (far left in the photo), the panelists were (from left to right) Rachel Fletcher, Paul A. Calter, William D. (Bill) Sapp and Mark Reynolds. The following is a transcript of the audio tapes made during the discussion.
Genomic approaches to investigate the pathogenicity of Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans, a model pathogenic fungus, exemplifies the application of several genome-wide approaches to investigate fungal pathogenicity. This review focuses on the application of genome-wide approaches to large populations of clinical and environmental isolates rather than to a small number of well-defined laboratory strains. Specific examples include the construction and utilization of genetic linkage maps, analyses of quantitative trait genes and loci, and the use of genome-wide genetic markers in population studies.
Crystallinity in chemically crosslinked low density polyethylenes: 4. Influence of crosslink density on morphology

Abstract Electron microscopy studies of crosslinked polyethylenes show that with increasing crosslinking conventional superstructures, their nucleation density and the nature of lamellae are greatly modified. With increasing crosslinking, the growth of spherulites is suppressed producing sheaves and ultimately bundles of lamellae. Lamellar organization prevails at all levels of crosslinking studied. Crosslinks exert a profound effect on the nature of the nucleation process as well as on nucleation density, it being mainly heterogenous in nature. The growth features indicate the presence of orienting effects, similar to those induced by externally applied stresses, at high crosslinking levels and temperatures. The values of the Avrami exponent obtained from kinetics studies are correlated with the observed morphologies. An increasing resistance to attack by the etchant on crosslinked polyethylene samples is attributed to the growth of compact bundles of lamellae as well as to the crosslinks themselves. The major causes of multiple melting peaks observed at low and high temperatures are due to (a) considerable change in the interfacial structure of lamellar crystals and the interlamellar material (b) reorganization of lamellar crystals as well as the presence of compact bundles of lamellae.
Correct No-Retardation Limit in Bethe-Salpeter Kernels

A careful discussion of the no-retardation (instantaneous) limit of the Bethe-Salpeter (BS) equation is carried out, as illustrated by one-photon exchange in the radiation gauge for positronium. Comparison is made with equations obtained by other authors, using the effective potential to order $m{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{4}$ as a test. Detailed analysis, using a new approach to the BS equation, recently proposed by the authors, indicates that the equations do not give equivalent results to order $m{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{4}$ and that the arguments leading to the experimentally well verified $m{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{4}$ potentials are sometimes defective.
Therapeutic studies in hyperthyroidism; methimazole.

INTRODUCTION In the last few years many new agents have been presented to the clinician for the treatment of hyperthyroidism. A great deal of experience and the collected reports of many investigators are necessary before the final role of each of these substances can be definitely determined. The burden of this report will be to contribute experience with one of these new agents, methimazole.1 Methimazole (1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole) was first reported by Stanley and Astwood (1) as “an antithyroid compound highly effective in man” in June, 1949. They observed that as small a dose as 0.5 mg. had a marked inhibitory effect on the uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland. Five milligrams completely inhibited the uptake for twenty-four hours. In 1950 two papers appeared to further the use of the drug. Beierwaltes (2) treated 9 patients of various ages; 6 showed a rapid return to a normal basal metabolic rate, but 3 did not show any return to a normal rate over a period of three months or more. He ...
The association between child maltreatment and disabilities in a hospital-based epidemiological study

OBJECTIVE: Circumstances of maltreatment and the presence of disabilities. METHOD: An electronic merger of the records of all pediatric patients. RESULTS: Detailed record analysis of circumstances of maltreatment and the presence of disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Differences between the Hospital and Residential samples, maltreatment and perpetrator characteristics, disability/maltreatment relationships, and their implications for primary health care are discussed. Language: en
The missing link in assistance planning

Abstract A major problem of past efforts to deal with food problems has been that both bilateral and multilateral assistance activities have been piecemeal. The focus has been on individual projects, each with limited objectives and a short time frame. There has been a broad spectrum of types of projects, ranging from specialized soil surveys for areas to be irrigated, to comprehensive rural development. It has been taken for granted that the individual projects would somehow add up to a net benefit in terms of national food supplies.
Deceptiveness on the PAI: A Study of Naïve Faking With Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract In this study, we sought to explore the diagnostic accuracy of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991) Validity scales (Negative Impression Management [NIM] and Positive Impression Management [PIM]) and indexes (Malingering index, Defensiveness index [DEF]; Morey, 1993, 1996; Cashel Discriminant Function; Cashel, Rogers, Sewell, & Martin–Cannici, 1995; and Rogers Discriminant Function [RDF]; Rogers, Sewell, Morey, & Ustad, 1996) to identify differences in profiles completed by psychiatric inpatients under standardized instructions (Time 1) and after random assignment (Time 2) to a fake good (n = 21), fake bad (n = 20), or retest (n = 21) scenario. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant interaction effect. Whereas the retest group did not show any significant changes on the PAI variables from Time 1 to Time 2, both faking groups showed changes in expected directions. Discriminant function analyses revealed that NIM, RDF, and lower scores on DEF best different...
Optimizing selective cerebral perfusion: deleterious effects of high perfusion pressures.

Objective Selective cerebral perfusion is a proven adjunct to hypothermia for neuroprotection in complex aortic surgery. The ideal conditions for the provision of selective cerebral perfusion, however, including optimal perfusion pressure, remain unknown. We investigated the effects of various perfusion pressures during selective cerebral perfusion on cerebral physiology and outcome in a long-term porcine model. Methods Thirty piglets (26.3 ± 1.4 kg), cooled to 20°C on cardiopulmonary bypass with α-stat pH management (mean hematocrit 23.6%), were randomly assigned to 90 minutes of selective cerebral perfusion at a pressure of 50 (group A), 70 (group B), or 90 (group C) mm Hg. With fluorescent microspheres and sagittal sinus sampling, cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen metabolism were assessed at baseline, after cooling, at two points during selective cerebral perfusion, and for 2 hours after cardiopulmonary bypass. Visual evoked potentials were monitored during recovery. Neurobehavioral scores were assessed blindly from standardized videotaped sessions for 7 postoperative days. Results Cerebral blood flow during selective cerebral perfusion was significantly increased by higher-pressure perfusion ( P = .04), although all groups sustained similar levels of cerebral oxygen metabolism during selective cerebral perfusion ( P = .88). After the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, the cerebral oxygen metabolism increased to above baseline in all groups, with the highest levels seen in group C ( P = .06). Intracranial pressure was significantly higher during selective cerebral perfusion in group C ( P = .0002); visual evoked potentials did not differ among groups. Neurobehavioral scores were significantly better in group A ( P = .0002). Conclusion Selective cerebral perfusion at 50 mm Hg provides neuroprotection superior to that at higher pressures. The increased cerebral blood flow with higher-pressure selective cerebral perfusion is associated with cerebral injury, reflected by high post–cardiopulmonary bypass cerebral oxygen metabolism and poorer neurobehavioral recovery.
The Fogging of Photographic Film by Radioactive Contaminants in Cardboard Packaging Materials

Following the detonation of the experimental atom bomb at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, a radioactive contaminant was encountered in strawboard material used by the Eastman Kodak Company for packaging photographic sensitive films. This paper board was manufactured in a mill situated at Vincennes, Indiana, on the Wabash River. A run of strawboard, produced on August 6, 1945, showed this new and unusual type of radioactive contaminant. X-ray film packed with this board showed fogged spots after about two weeks' exposure.Measurements of the contaminated spots of strawboard showed no alpha-activity but fairly strong beta-activity. Absence of alpha-activity ruled out naturally radioactive materials. Measurements of the beta-activity showed a maximum energy of about 0.6 Mev. and a half-life of approximately 30 days. Radiochemical studies of the active ash from the strawboard indicated that the material was of the rare earth series. The energy value and half-life of the beta-radiation are compatible with the isotope, Ce 141.All studies point to the conclusion that the radioactive contaminant was an artificially radioactive material which found its way into the mill through the river water. The most likely explanation seems to be that it was a wind-borne fission product derived from the atom-bomb detonation in New Mexico on July 16, 1945.
The l-forbidden Gamow-Teller decay of 39Ca

Abstract The intensities of γ-rays emitted following the β + decays of 39 Ca and 35 Ar were measured by using a Ge(Li) detector to detect the delayed radiation from a KCl target bombarded by 13 MeV protons. From these results the experimental log (ƒt) values and related B (GT) values for the 35 Ar and 39 Ca decays are deduced. These are compared with shell-model calculations together with a recent computation by Towner and Khanna of the higher-order corrections due to configuration-mixing outside the sd shell, isobar currents and other meson-exchange currents. We concentrate on the significance of the l- forbidden 1 d 3 2 → 2 s 1 2 Gamow-Teller transition in mass 39 and comment on its relation to the corresponding M1 transitions in 39 Ca and 39 K.
New options from big chips

The 16-bit 8086 microprocessor introduces to MOS digital design some speed-up techniques well-known to computer architects. Limits on the die size barred these techniques in the past, but with new MOS processes, transistor packing densities are sufficient to use them. As a result, it is possible to design significantly improved performance into the 16-bit 8086 without relying totally on the faster circuits allowed by the new MOS processes. A somewhat novel approach was selected instead for the 8086 design. It was decided to leave out any circuit that did not speed up most of the instructions and to use a system of processor pipelining to increase the average speed of the instruction set. In this way performance is maintained without allowing the die size to grow dangerously large. The 8086 operates under microprogram control. When handled properly, microcode can drive a processor as fast as random logic control.
Addressing the Nation’s Physician Workforce Needs: The Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) Recommendations on Graduate Medical Education Reform

The Graduate Medical Education (GME) system in the United States (US) has garnered worldwide respect, graduating over 25,000 new physicians from over 8,000 residency and fellowship programs annually. GME is the portal of entry to medical practice and licensure in the US, and the pathway through which resident physicians develop the competence to practice independently and further develop their career plans. The number and specialty distribution of available GME positions shapes the overall composition of our national workforce; however, GME is failing to provide appropriate programs that support the delivery of our society’s system of healthcare. This paper, prepared by the Health Policy Education Subcommittee of the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) and unanimously endorsed by SGIM’s Council, outlines a set of recommendations on how to reform the GME system to best prepare a physician workforce that can provide high quality, high value, population-based, and patient-centered health care, aligned with the dynamic needs of our nation’s healthcare delivery system. These recommendations include: accurate workforce needs assessment, broadened GME funding sources, increased transparency of the use of GME dollars, and implementation of incentives to increase the accountability of GME-funded programs for the preparation and specialty selection of their program graduates.
Barrett's metaplasia and colonic neoplasms: a significant association in a 203,534-patient study

The presence of an association between Barrett’s metaplasia and colonic neoplasia has remained controversial. The aim of the study was to test the presence of this association, using a large national database. From a computerized database of surgical pathology reports, we selected 203,000 subjects who underwent colonoscopy and esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy with biopsy results available from both procedures. In a case–control study we compared the occurrence of Barrett’s metaplasia in patients with and without various types of colonic neoplasms. Barrett’s metaplasia occurred more frequently among patients with hyperplastic polyps (OR = 2.14, 95 % CI 2.02–2.27), adenomatous polyps (2.52, 2.41–2.64), advanced adenomas (2.10, 1.90–2.32), villous adenomas or adenomas with high-grade (HG) dysplasia (2.45, 2.28–2.64), and colonic adenocarcinomas (1.75, 1.39–2.22). The association between Barrett’s metaplasia and colonic neoplasm applied similarly to polyps of different size, number and location within the large bowel. These types of association could also be confirmed when analyzed separately for Barrett’s metaplasia characterized by low-grade or HG dysplasia, as well as esophageal adenocarcinoma. The data support the existence of a true association between Barrett’s metaplasia and various types of colonic neoplasm. The association may be more interesting for its potential insights into the pathogenesis of the two disorders than its actual clinical implications.
Tonic pupil and sarcoidosis

Abstract Purpose To present a case of tonic pupil associated with enhancement in the region of the ciliary ganglion on magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with sarcoidosis. Design Observational case report. Methods A 52-year-old woman with sarcoidosis had a right pupil exhibiting sectoral palsy to light and light-near dissociation. Results Topical administration of 0.1% pilocarpine demonstrated supersensitivity of the right pupillary sphincter muscle. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast revealed enhancement in the region of the right ciliary ganglion. Conclusions Tonic pupil may be a manifestation of sarcoidosis, and in such cases, MRI may show enhancement at the level of the ciliary ganglion. Sarcoidosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of tonic pupil.
Increased running wheel activity and dyadic behavior of rats with hippocampal granule cell deficits.

During the first 2 weeks after birth, infant rats were subjected to a schedule of localized X-irradiation, which has been shown to produce substantial decrease in cell number in the dentate gyrus. In contrast to reports of surgically lesioned rats, we observed hyperactivity in young X-irradiated rats as measured by revolutions of a running wheel. This hyperactivity occurred mainly at night. When isolated in a home cage, and then confronted with an intruder rat, adult hippocampal rats boxed, mounted, and showed dominance postures at a greater frequency than did controls. The hippocampal rats did not fight more, however. These results suggest that hippocampal rats overrespond to normal stimuli.
Accurate Measurement of Cellular Autofluorescence is Critical for Imaging of Host-Pathogen Interactions

Cellular autofluorescence, though ubiquitous when imaging cells and tissues, is often assumed to be small in comparison to the signal of interest. Uniform estimates of autofluorescence intensity obtained from separate control specimens are commonly employed to correct for autofluorescence. While these may be sufficient for high signal-to-background applications, improvements in detector and probe technologies and introduction of spectral imaging microscopes have increased the sensitivity of fluorescence imaging methods, exposing the possibility of effectively probing the low signalto-background regime. With spectral imaging, reliable monitoring of signals near or even below the noise levels of the microscope is possible if autofluorescence and background signals can be accurately compensated for. We demonstrate the importance of accurate autofluorescence determination and utility of spectral imaging and multivariate analysis methods using a case study focusing on fluorescence confocal spectral imaging of host-pathogen interactions. In this application fluorescent proteins are produced when bacteria invade host cells. Unfortunately the analyte signal is spectrally overlapped and typically weaker than the cellular autofluorescence. In addition to discussing the advantages of spectral imaging for following pathogen invasion, we present the spectral properties of mouse macrophage autofluorescence. The imaging and analysis methods developed are widely applicable to cell and tissue imaging.
Extension of the Mid-Labrador Sea Ridge

EVIDENCE obtained during geophysical investigations aboard the USCGC Mariposa in the summer of 1967 strongly supports the hypothesis1 that an inactive branch of the Mid-Oceanic Ridge lies buried beneath the axis of the Labrador Sea.
Intel’s Post Silicon functional validation approach

CPU Post-Silicon functional validation is the last "guardian" logic-wise before delivering the product to the market. In each CPU generation, the challenges are larger due to increasingly complex architectures, budget constraints and shorter schedules. Success can be achieved just with the novel approaches across different validation teams, and with a complex of state-of-the-art validation software, hardware, execution and silicon debug environments. Budget constraints lead to high automation and efficient validation process. Though Intel Corporation has different divisions, mutual help and hard work and optimization ensures high quality product within the schedule.
Electrostatic force assisted exfoliation of prepatterned few-layer graphenes into device sites.

We present a novel fabrication method for incorporating nanometer to micrometer scale few-layer graphene (FLG) features onto substrates with electrostatic exfoliation. We pattern highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using standard lithographic techniques and subsequently, in a single step, exfoliate and transfer-print the prepatterned FLG features onto a silicon wafer using electrostatic force. We have successfully demonstrated the exfoliation/printing of 18 nm wide FLG nanolines and periodic arrays of 1.4 μm diameter pillars. Furthermore, we have fabricated graphene nanoribbon transistors using the patterned graphene nanoline. Our electrostatic force assisted exfoliation/print process does not need additional adhesion layers and could be stepped and repeated to deliver the prepatterned graphitic material over wafer-sized areas and allows the construction of graphene-based integrated circuits.