cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inland waterway ports selection and evaluation using stochastic analytical hierarchy process

Inland waterway ports are an integral part of a country’s transportation system and the overall economy it supports. Though these ports support and contribute to a country’s import-export business ...
Improving PERSIANN-CCS Using Passive Microwave Rainfall Estimation

Re-calibrated PERSIANN-CCS is one of the algorithms used in “Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM” (IMERG) to provide high-resolution precipitation estimations from the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program and retrospective data generation for the period covered by the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). This study presents the development of a re-calibrated PERSIANN-CCS algorithm for the next-generation GPM multi-sensor precipitation retrieval algorithm (IMERG). The activities include implementing the probability matching method to update PERSIANN-CCS using passive microwave (PMW) rainfall estimation from low earth orbit (LEO) satellites and validation of precipitation estimation using radar rainfall measurement. Further improvement by the addition of warm rain estimation to the PERSIANN-CCS algorithm using warmer temperature thresholds for cloud image segmentation is also presented. Additionally, developments using multispectral image analysis and machine learning approaches are discussed and proposed for future studies.
Canine cruciate ligament ruptures: Implications for financial costs and human health.

The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in dogs is homologous to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans. Factors that place an individual at-risk for noncontact ruptures are not clearly defined in humans or dogs. Cyclic variation in human females as well as early spay/neuter in canines has frequently implicated hormonal variation, however these factors do not fully explain the human dimorphic or canine breed rupture rates. The present study examined dogs as a proxy model for humans to better understand the covariance. A random clinical data sample from the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Hospital was obtained on (n = 29) CCL surgical cases and nonsurgical (n = 28) controls. A statistical test for association of spay/neuter with CCL rupture was significant (chi-square = 21.7, p .01) different. Data on other variables related to morphometric variability such as the tibial plateau angle was not available on the nonsurgical sample and comparisons could only be made to values from the literature. Though there may have been sample bias, this preliminary study found that more large than small dogs were represented in the surgical sample. Our results also support the claim that spayed/neutered dogs are more likely to rupture their CCL than intact dogs. Given the high costs of surgical repair, both for canines and humans, we argue for multivariate studies that investigate the interaction of variables in a larger subject sample which can provide comparable data on all parameters.
Measuring collagen fibril diameter with differential interference contrast microscopy.

Abstract Collagen fibrils, linear arrangements of collagen monomers, 20–500 nm in diameter, comprising hundreds of molecules in their cross-section, are the fundamental structural unit in a variety of load-bearing tissues such as tendons, ligaments, skin, cornea, and bone. These fibrils often assemble into more complex structures, providing mechanical stability, strength, or toughness to the host tissue. Unfortunately, there is little information available on individual fibril dynamics, mechanics, growth, aggregation and remodeling because they are difficult to image using visible light as a probe. The principle quantity of interest is the fibril diameter, which is difficult to extract accurately, dynamically, in situ and non-destructively. An optical method, differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy has been used to visualize dynamic structures that are as small as microtubules (25 nm diameter) and has been shown to be sensitive to the size of objects smaller than the wavelength of light. In this investigation, we take advantage of DIC microscopy’s ability to report dimensions of nanometer scale objects to generate a curve that relates collagen diameter to DIC edge intensity shift (DIC-EIS). We further calibrate the curve using electron microscopy and demonstrate a linear correlation between fibril diameter and the DIC-EIS. Using a non-oil immersion, 40x objective (NA 0.6), collagen fibril diameters between ~100 nm to ~ 300 nm could be obtained with ±11 and ±4 nm accuracy for dehydrated and hydrated fibrils, respectively. This simple, nondestructive, label free method should advance our ability to directly examine fibril dynamics under experimental conditions that are physiologically relevant.
EFFECT OF HARD DRUG ADDICTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF PERSONS ATTENDING MAT CLINIC

Purpose: The study, therefore, seeks to establish the effect of hard drug addiction on psychological well-being of persons attending mat clinic.Methodology: This study will adopt a descriptive survey design. The study will employ a population of 450 respondents, that is the, guardians /patients, and nurses of the clinic. The population of the study will include the patients attending and nurses working with the patients at MAT clinic in Kenya. According to Kothari (2004), a sample size of between 10 and 30% is a good representation of the target population, for populations not exceeding 1000. The target sample size for this study, therefore, will be 10% of the total respondents of the clinic, i.e., 45 respondents selected by simple random sampling method. Inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria will be used where the guardians/patients who attended the clinic and the nurses working in the clinic will be included, while the patients who are mentally incapacitated to respond to the questions as well as the nurses not directly involved with the patients will be excluded. The study will use questionnaires, key information and interview guides to collect the primary data. Analysis of data will be done by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software.Findings: The study finds that there is a significant impact of hard drug addiction on psychological well-being of persons attending mat clinic. Unique contribution to theory, policy, and practice: Both psychological well-being and substance abuse are influenced by numerous overlapping and interacting factors and as such, any psychometric scales trying to identify adolescents at risk for psychological problems and substance abuse would have to look at them in interaction. Fortunately, it seems that the Psychological Well-Being Scale used for the purpose of this research can serve this dual purpose, namely to identify adolescents with a negative psychological well-being and consequently identify those adolescents at risk for substance abuse.
Disparities in the distribution of COVID-19 testing sites in black and Latino areas in new York City.

In New York City (NYC), there are disproportionately more cases and deaths from COVID-19 for Blacks and Latinos compared to Whites. Using data from the NYC coronavirus data repository and the 2018 American Community Survey 5-year census estimates, we examined the distribution of testing sites across NYC areas (zip code tabulation areas) by race in May 2020. ArcGIS was used to create majority race zip code-level maps showing the distribution of testing sites on May 1, 2020 and May 17, 2020 in NYC. t-tests were used to determine whether significant differences existed in the number of testing sites by the majority race of zip codes. Between May 1, 2020 and May 17, 2020, testing sites in majority Black areas increased by more than 240% from nine to 31, and more than 90% from 16 to 31 in majority Latino areas. Black (M = 1257.7) and Latino (M = 1662.3) areas had significantly more COVID-19 cases (p < 0.05) compared to White areas. Nonetheless, White (n = 70; 38.9%) areas had most of the 180 testing sites on May 17, 2020, compared to Black (n = 31;17.2%) and Latino (n = 31;17.2%) areas. Due to the socio-economic and underlying health conditions that may place Blacks and Latinos at high risk for COVID-19, it is imperative that access to testing is improved for vulnerable groups.
Thickness Measurements of Clear Coatings on Silver Objects using Fiber Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy

Polymer films have been used extensively to coat heritage metal objects to provide protection against atmospheric oxidation and tarnish. Coating performance is directly proportional to coating thic...
Integrating the overlap of obstructive lung disease and obstructive sleep apnoea: OLDOSA syndrome

Obstructive lung diseases (OLD) such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are very prevalent conditions. Disease phenotypes (e.g. chronic bronchitis, emphysema, etc.) often overlap, and significant confusion exists about their optimal nosologic characterization. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is also a common condition that features bidirectional interactions with OLD. OSA appears to be more commonly seen in patients with OLD, perhaps as a result of shared risk factors, for example obesity, smoking, increased airway resistance, local and systemic inflammation, anti-inflammatory therapy. Conversely, OSA is associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients with OLD, and continuous positive airway pressure therapy has potential beneficial effects on this vicious pathophysiological interaction. Possible shared mechanistic links include increased parasympathetic tone, hypoxaemia-related reflex bronchoconstriction/vasoconstriction, irritation of upper airway neural receptors, altered nocturnal neurohormonal secretion, pro-inflammatory mediators, within and inter-breath interactions between upper and lower airways, lung volume-airway dependence, etc. While the term overlap syndrome has been defined as the comorbid association of COPD and OSA, the interaction between asthma and OSA has not been integrated yet nosologically; in this review, the latter will be called alternative overlap syndrome. In an effort to bolster further investigations in this area, an integrated, lumping nomenclature for OSA in the setting of OLD is proposed here--OLDOSA (obstructive lung disease and obstructive sleep apnoea) syndrome.
Rawls in Tort Theory: Themes and Counter-Themes

Several themes in John Rawls's moral and political philosophy have inspired variations in the philosophical theory of tort law: (a) The Ex Ante Choice Situation and the Maximin Rule: the idea that a fair order is one that would be selected by a rational person ex ante, and that such a person would seek to maximize the well-being of the least well off; (b) Kantian constructivism: the development of a non-metaphysical constructivism as an approach to fundamental questions about a defensible political order; (c) Reflective Equilibrium: the idea of the independence of moral theory, and more generally, a coherentist approach to the analysis of important moral questions and concepts, as opposed to a foundationalist or reductionistic approach; (d) Reasonableness versus rationality: as the concept of practical reason takes on a guiding role within normative theorizing, and as decision theory based on a roughly economic conception of rationality takes a dominant position within normative theories of practical reason, Rawls' counterposing of reasonableness as a distinctive normative ideal within practical reason is centrally important in moral and political theory; (e) Justice as the first virtue of social institutions: the post-positivistic and post-Enlightenment re-awakening of the ideal of justice as an aspiration for political and legal institutions. After explaining the contributions that these Rawlsian ideas have made to tort theory, the article reverts to a more skeptical perspective. For a variety of reasons pertaining to the structure of tort law and the concerns of tort theory, each of these Rawlsian ideas has a more limited role to play in the philosophical analysis of tort law than several leading thinkers have proposed. Indeed, an appropriately broad understanding of Rawls' theory of reflective equilibrium - Rawls' own great contribution to the epistemology of normative concepts - suggests that a genuinely Rawlsian methodology in tort theory would shy away from analyzing tort concepts along Rawlsian lines.
The ionic double layer at the ZnOsolution interface: III. Comparison of calculated and experimental differential capacities

Abstract Differential capacity curves on ZnO in different 1-1 electrolyte solutions are presented. The magnitude of the capacity agrees with similar measurements on Fe2O3 and TiO2 and is explained with a double-layer model which assumes specific adsorption of both cations and anions with an adsorption energy of a few kT. The specificity of adsorption of univalent anions on ZnO is in the order ClO − 4 ≾ NO − 3 I − Br − Cl − and confirms previous observations on rutile.
Pedagogical Agents as Learning Companions: Building Social Relations with Learners

This study examined the potential of pedagogical agents as learning companions (PALs) to build social relations with learners and, consequently, to motivate learning. The study investigated the impact of PAL affect (positive vs. negative vs. neutral), PAL gender (male vs. female), and learner gender (male vs. female) on learners' social judgments, motivation, and learning in a controlled experiment. Participants were 142 college students in a computer-literacy course. Overall, the results indicated the interaction effects of PAL affect, PAL gender, and learner gender on learners' social judgments (p <.001). PAL affect impacted learners' social judgments (p <.001) and motivation (p <.05). PAL gender influenced motivation (p <.01) and recall of learning (p <.05). Learner gender influenced recall of learning (p <.01). The implications of the findings are discussed.
Spurred to Action or Retreat? The Effects of Reception Contexts on Naturalization Decisions in Los Angeles1

Undocumented immigration has been linked to a wave of anti-immigrant legislation during the early 1990s. California led the way by passing Proposition 187, which many suspect led legal immigrants to naturalize. No research has confirmed this suspicion. I argue that the years before, during, and after the legislation's passage and the strength of the labor market represent two contexts of reception in which immigrants reside, which determine naturalization decisions. Event history models show that California's naturalization rates dramatically increased after the legislation's passage, a pattern that is most pronounced among Latinos, while rates declined during difficult times, a pattern more pronounced among Asians. Thus, Latinos' naturalization rates are affected more by the state policy climate, while Asians rates are affected more by long-term economic health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Advanced Age and the Clinical Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is common in the elderly. Although surgical replacement of the valve has been the gold standard of management, many patients have been excluded from surgery because they were very old, frail, or had co-morbidities that increased operative risks. In the last decade, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a new treatment option suitable for these patients. This article reviews the available literature on the role of TAVI in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis. Published studies showed that elderly individuals who underwent TAVI experienced better in-hospital recovery, and similar short and mid-term mortality compared to those underwent surgical treatment of AS. However, long-term outcomes of TAVI in elderly patients are still unknown. The available data in the literature on the effect of advanced age on clinical outcomes of TAVI are limited, but the data that are available suggest that TAVI is a beneficial and tolerable procedure in very old patients. Some of the expected complications after TAVI are reported more in the oldest patients such as vascular injures. Other complications were comparable in TAVI patients regardless of their age group. However, very old patients may need closer monitoring to avoid further morbidities and mortality.
Traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with one-year all-cause mortality among those with coronary artery calcium scores 400

Abstract Introduction Coronary artery calcium (CAC) reflects coronary plaque burden and independently predicts all-cause mortality. There is marked heterogeneity in the prognosis of individuals with a high burden of subclinical atherosclerosis, yet little research has focused on the proximate determinants of poor outcomes in this subgroup. Methods Among 4234 persons with baseline CAC ≥400, multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to study the association of traditional cardiovascular risk factors with 1-year all-cause mortality. Results The mean age was 64 ± 10 years, with 56% male and a median CAC score of 809 (IQR 761). In multivariable models, diabetes, cigarette smoking, age (per SD), CAC (per SD) and dyslipidemia were significantly associated with all-cause mortality at 1 year: HR (95% confidence interval) = 2.62 (1.55–4.43), 2.42 (1.41–4.15), 1.52 (1.16–1.99), 1.33 (CAC 1.11–1.56) and 0.58 (0.34–0.98) respectively. There was no association with hypertension [HR (95% confidence interval) = 0.90 (0.55–1.47)]. Conclusion Smoking and diabetes are strongly associated with one-year all-cause mortality among persons with extensive CAC, perhaps suggesting that these risk factors serve as triggers of acute events.
Advances in Hair Diseases

EDITORIAL COMMENT Hair abnormalities range from uncommon genetic conditions to some of the most common diseases we see in our clinics. Maria Hordinsky is an expert in all of them. In this comprehensive well-written review the latest information is concisely presented. A simplified classificaton of the inflammatory alopecias is now the accepted standard; treatment is recommended in ranked tiers. This practical advice is welcome. Additionally the advances in our understanding of the hair cycle and structure leads me to have hope for more rational, effective and hopefully safe, alternative therapies for androgenetic alopecia may be closer to reality.
Solid‐phase flow behavior of polymers

The solid-phase flow behavior of polymers is very important in the mechanical performance and testing of solid polymers and in solid-phase forming. This paper includes an extensive characterization of the solid-phase flow curve for a wide range of commercially important polymers. Rigid semicrystalline, ductile semicrystalline, tough ductile amorphous, and two-phase ductile amorphous resins were studied in both tension and compression. It is clearly shown that semicrystalline polymers normally exhibit a load drop upon yielding due only to geometrical strain softening while the amorphous polymers exhibit yield drops due to material strain softening. New flow equations are given that closely model the observed behavior for all types of materials, over the entire range of strain.
Ex-ante Determinants of Volatility in the Crude Oil Market

This paper examines the causes and behavior of price volatility in the US crude oil market. Although crude oil prices are among the most volatile, they have received limited academic scrutiny heretofore. This study shows that (1) the crude oil market is characterized by volatility persistence, (2) a negative shock has more impact on future volatility than an equal positive shock, (3) crude oil volatility is lower at higher prices, (4) OPEC meeting announcements and the Petroleum Status Report releases cause increased volatility, and (5) there is a day-of-the-week pattern in this market. I develop and employ an improved procedure for testing and quantifying the hypothesized volatility determinants within GARCH type model.
High- and Low-Potency Ligands with Similar Affinities for the TCR: The Importance of Kinetics in TCR Signaling

We have examined binding characteristics for a single TCR interacting with five of its different peptide/MHC ligands using surface plasmon resonance. We find that very small structural changes produce ligands with similar equilibrium binding affinities (K(D)) for the TCR, but vastly different potencies for T cell activation. Ligands with similar K(D)s induce similar amounts of total phospho-zeta but distinct patterns of zeta phosphorylation. Lower potency ligands induce only incomplete phosphorylation of TCR zeta and generally have faster off-rates. Therefore, the potency of TCR ligands is primarily determined by the half-life of the TCR-ligand complex and the consequent ability to induce complete phosphorylation of zeta.
Cognitive correlates of anger, anxiety, and sadness

In a test of Beck's (1976) cognitive theory of emotion, 72 undergraduate subjects were presented with a cognitive rationale of emotion, then recorded their thoughts and emotions whenever they felt angry, anxious, or sad over a 3-day period. After each day, structured interview data were collected and subjects were asked to rate their thoughts and feelings. The interview data were then scored for thought content. Analyses of subjects' and judges' assessments strongly supported Beck's hypothesis that anger is associated with thoughts of transgression, anxiety with thoughts of threat, and sadness with thoughts of loss. Analyses of subjects' assessments of their own thoughts and feelings indicated that each type of thought (transgression, threat, and loss) tended to occur in combination with the others and that anger was associated with simultaneous reports of anxiety and sadness. Multiple regression analyses revealed that although anxiety was uniquely predicted only by thoughts of threat, anger was associated with thoughts of loss as well as thoughts of transgression, and sadness was associated with thoughts of threat as well as thoughts of loss.
NMR Studies of the Hydrogen Storage Compound NaMgH3

Hydrogen and 23Na NMR were performed to 400 °C on NaMgH3 powder produced by reactive ball-milling of NaH and MgH2. The H resonance shows narrowing already at 100 °C as a narrow line superimposed on the broad, rigid-lattice signal. With increasing temperature, the fraction of spins in the narrow component grows smoothly, approaching 100% near 275 °C. This heterogeneous narrowing suggests a wide distribution of H motion rates. After annealing at 400 °C, the narrow component intensity at temperatures below 200 °C was substantially reduced and both H and 23Na relaxation rates 1/T1 were decreased. Thus, it appears that the high rates of H motion, particularly on first heating, are due to regions with poorly organized crystal structure. If this disorder could be maintained, this might be an avenue toward improved reaction kinetics of this or other hydrides. In the annealed sample, the activation energy for H diffusion is approximately 95 kJ/mol.
Understanding GaN nucleation layer evolution on sapphire.

Abstract Optical reflectance and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used to develop a detailed description of GaN nucleation layer (NL) evolution upon annealing in ammonia and hydrogen to 1050 °C. For the experiments, the GaN NLs were grown to a thickness of 30 nm at 540 °C, and then heated to 1050 °C, following by holding at 1050 °C for additional time. As the temperature, T , is increased, the NL decomposes uniformly beginning at 850 °C up to 980 °C as observed by the decrease in the optical reflectance signal and the absence of change in the NL AFM images. Decomposition of the original NL material drives the formation of GaN nuclei on top of the NL, which begin to appear on the NL near 1000 °C, increasing the NL roughness. The GaN nuclei are formed by gas-phase transport of Ga atoms generated during the NL decomposition that recombine with ambient NH 3 . The gas-phase mechanism responsible for forming the GaN nuclei is demonstrated in two ways. First, the NL decomposition kinetics has an activation energy, E A , of 2.7 eV and this E A is observed in the NL roughening as the GaN nuclei increase in size. Second, the power spectral density functions measured with atomic force microscopy reveal that the GaN nuclei grow via an evaporation and recondensation mechanism. Once the original NL material is fully decomposed, the GaN nuclei stop growing in size and begin to decompose. For 30 nm thick NLs used in this study, approximately 1 3 of the NL Ga atoms are reincorporated into GaN nuclei. A detailed description of the NL evolution as it is heated to high temperature is presented, along with recommendations on how to enhance or reduce the NL decomposition and nuclei formation before high T GaN growth.
Quantifying the costs of a nationwide public safety wireless network

The existing US public safety wireless infrastructure consists of thousands of disparate systems built by separate local agencies. Problems with interoperability, cost, spectral efficiency, and limited functionality plague these systems but could be significantly reduced through the deployment of a single nationwide network that serves all public safety personnel. Two major efforts towards such a nationwide network are the federal-government-only Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) and an FCC-led effort to create a public-private partnership in the 700MHz band; the future of both projects is uncertain due in part to concerns surrounding cost. This paper presents a model to estimate cost for two fundamental approaches to a nationwide network: a public-safety-only network and a public-private partnership which serves both public safety and commercial subscribers. We apply this general model to four network scenarios which differ in the amount and band of spectrum allocated as well as the number and type of subscribers (public-safety-only versus commercial and public safety) under three traffic scenarios: voice-only, data-only, and voice and data. We demonstrate that the nation's many small systems could be replaced with a single nationwide network with a small fraction of the tower sites and spectrum. The cost of building this new infrastructure is comparable to what is likely to be spent in just a few years on upgrading and maintaining the existing infrastructure. In addition, we show that these cost estimates are highly dependent on some key system design parameters including the public safety capacity required and signal coverage reliability, which must therefore be well-defined in advance.
Retardation in two-atom systems

Abstract We consider the old problem of two identical two-level atoms a fixed distance r apart, one excited at t = 0, the other unexcited, and the field in the vacuum state. We are interested specifically in the higher order retardation effects, which have not previously been discussed. We show the existence of an unexpected interference term in the probability for atom 1 to be excited which sets in two retardation times after atom 1 begins to decay.
Health Issues in Prisons and Jails: Implications for Urban Health

This is a retrospective chart review of a systematic sample of 200 persons identified as diabetic who were incarcerated in the San Francisco County Jail in 2003 out of approximately 55,000 annual admissions. Of the 424 inmates identified with diabetes, 200 underwent a detailed chart review. Inmate care achieved a score of greater than 90% in five out of nine quality-of-care indicators. Greater adherence to quality measures was found in inmates with longer jail stays. The authors conclude that quality diabetes care can be provided using a protocol-driven approach based on American Diabetes Association and National Commission on Correctional Health Care guidelines. They also conclude that jails can play an important role in improving health care for poor and minority populations with both initiation of chronic disease evaluation and management and education. The authors call for improved links between jails, public health systems, and other healthcare providers.
The Use of the Word Antiparallel

THE following note on the use of the word antiparallel may prove of interest to the readers of NATURE.
Case Report—Papular Xanthoma in a 10‐Year‐Old Female with Abnormal Lipid Profile

Papular xanthoma is a rare normolipemic xanthomatous skin disease which primarily occurs in adults. While this rare disorder has been documented in children, all but one reported in the literature had a normal lipid profile. We report a 10-year-old girl with multiple papule xanthomas on her face that had an abnormal lipid profile. To our knowledge this is only the second reported case of papular xanthoma in the pediatric population with an abnormal lipid profile.
Teaching madness and literature in a healthcare context: an enquiry into interdisciplinary education

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the value of teaching about mental illness through the use of literature.Design/methodology/approach – Using the examples of two colleges in eastern USA that focus on educating students for healthcare careers, the paper examines two different course formats for using literature to teach about mental illness: a course that places the topic within the larger context of medicine and literature; and a freestanding madness and literature course.Findings – While professional education tends towards specialization, it can lead to a monocultural vision that limits approaches to patients and problems alike. Courses integrating mental illness and literature were found to be effective means of counteracting this trend.Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to two healthcare‐centred colleges in eastern USA.Practical implications – For mental health clinicians and healthcare professionals in general, literature broadens the scope of both perspectives and analytic...
Calcium Modulation of Adherens and Tight Junction Function: A Potential Mechanism for Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption After Stroke

Background— This review deals with the role of calcium in endothelial cell junctions of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Calcium is critical for adherens junction function, but it appears that calcium is also important in regulating tight junction function necessary for the barrier characteristics of cerebral microvessels. Summary of Review— The BBB is critical for brain homeostasis and is located at the cerebral microvessel endothelial cells. These endothelial cells maintain their barrier characteristics via cell-cell contacts made up of adherens and tight junctions. Adherens junctions are calcium dependent; recent evidence suggests that calcium also affects tight junctions. After stroke, there is a disruption of the BBB. Interfering with calcium flux under hypoxic conditions can prevent BBB breakdown. Calcium may alter BBB junction integrity by a number of different signal transduction cascades, as well as via direct interaction of calcium ions with junction proteins. It remains to be determined whether c...
Apparent interfacial failure in mixed-mode adhesive fracture

Aluminium-epoxy adhesive specimens constructed with the bond at 45‡ to the direction of loading appear to fail very close to the interface. The actual locus of failure was investigated by14C labelling of the epoxy polymer and also by Auger spectroscopy profile analysis. Both techniques indicated a residual film of polymer a few hundred angstroms thick on the aluminium surface. The fracture energy of these specimens was determined and found to be affected by the surface roughness of the aluminium. The mixed-mode fracture energy (GI,II) C45° of these specimens in the absence of any surface roughness effect (polished surfaces) was 140 J m−2 compared to 136 J m−2 for the same polymer in simple opening-modeGI C adhesive fracture. The “interfacial” failure and the effect of surface finish on fracture are discussed in terms of the applied stress directing the failure toward the interface but the approach of the crack to the boundary being limited by the size of the crack tip deformation zone.
Efficient bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells using small-molecular-weight organic thin films

The power conversion efficiency of small-molecular-weight and polymer organic photovoltaic cells has increased steadily over the past decade. This progress is chiefly attributable to the introduction of the donor–acceptor heterojunction1,2 that functions as a dissociation site for the strongly bound photogenerated excitons. Further progress was realized in polymer devices through use of blends of the donor and acceptor materials3,4,5: phase separation during spin-coating leads to a bulk heterojunction that removes the exciton diffusion bottleneck by creating an interpenetrating network of the donor and acceptor materials. The realization of bulk heterojunctions using mixtures of vacuum-deposited small-molecular-weight materials has, on the other hand, posed elusive: phase separation induced by elevating the substrate temperature inevitably leads to a significant roughening of the film surface and to short-circuited devices. Here, we demonstrate that the use of a metal cap to confine the organic materials during annealing prevents the formation of a rough surface morphology while allowing for the formation of an interpenetrating donor–acceptor network. This method results in a power conversion efficiency 50 per cent higher than the best values reported for comparable bilayer devices, suggesting that this strained annealing process could allow for the formation of low-cost and high-efficiency thin film organic solar cells based on vacuum-deposited small-molecular-weight organic materials.
Probing The Perinatal Paradox

Publishing at its best can be a lively dialogue between a journal's authors and readers. We encourage your responses to what you read in Health Affairs . Please keep responses brief (two typed pages) and sharply focused. Health Affairs reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor for clarity and space.
Occlusion of the intradural vertebrobasilar artery

The diagnosis of occlusion of the intradural vertebrobasilar artery (OIDVBA) was made by means of cerebral angiography in 22 patients. The clinical presentation, course and followup were studied in conjunction with the angiographic findings in each case and the following conclusions made. OIDVBA is not rare. It occurs one-fourth as often as occlusion of the carotid artery. The correct diagnosis is not made clinically before angiography in the majority of patients. Complete visualization of the neck and intracranial vasculature is necessary to document the occlusion. Atherosclerotic thrombosis is the most common type of occlusive lesion. The most common predisposing factors are atherosclerosis, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and developmental vertebrobasilar hypoplasia. Most patients with occlusion are in the 7th and 8th decades of life and transient attacks of vertebrobasilar ischemia precede the occlusion in one-half of the cases. Emboli usually lodge in the terminal portion of the basilar artery whereas thrombotic occlusions tend not to be located in a characteristic segment. A majority of patients diagnosed angiographically survive their OIDVBA, but most distal occlusions result in death, often following several weeks of coma. In the surviving majority, disturbance of gait, impairment of vision, and symptoms of transient vertebrobasilar ischemia are the most common sequelae.
Positive Carathéodory interpolation on the polydisc

The positive Caratheodory interpolation problem in the Agler-Herglotz class on the polydisc is solved, along with a several variable version of the Naimark dilation theorem. In addition, the positive Caratheodory interpolation problem for general holomorphic functions is discussed and numerical results are presented.
Genital mycoplasmas stimulate tumor necrosis factor-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase production from a murine macrophage cell line

Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis, two genital mycoplasmas, are the most common organisms isolated in the perinatal period and both either cause or are associated with poor perinatal outcomes. We speculate that these microbes could increase inflammation by stimulating macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase because of their propensity to interact with the host's immune system. To test this hypothesis, RAW 264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line, were coincubated for 16 h with either U. urealyticum or M. hominis, and LPS and sterile broth were used as controls. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and both mycoplasmas induced TNF-α production, which was concentration-dependent, whereas sterile broth had little effect. TNF-α production was not inhibited by the addition of polymyxin B, excluding the possibility of contaminating endotoxin in this effect. Inducible nitric oxide synthase was produced only in the presence of recombinant interferon-γ. We conclude that both viable and nonviable U. urealyticum and M. hominis are capable of TNF-α induction from murine macrophages and that LPS is not involved in this event. Also, the genital mycoplasmas are capable of stimulating inducible nitric oxide synthase production from murine macrophages. We speculate that the genital mycoplasmas produce perinatal disease by producing proinflammatory mediators by their interaction with inflammatory cells and either induce or act as a catalyst and augment inflammation which in turn leads to a poor pregnancy outcome.
Denervation study of synapses of organ of corti of old world monkeys

Fine structural characteristics of synapses in the spiral organ of Corti were examined, with reference to differences between inner and outer hair-cell systems, and to location of neurons of origin of efferent axons. Surgical interruption of crossed olivocochlear bundle, of vestibular nerve, of facial nerve, and excision of superior cervical ganglia were used to determine the pathways of different axons. Interruption of the vestibular nerve near the brainstem results in degeneration of all efferent terminals on outer hair cells. Mid-line lesions at, and caudal to, the facial colliculus result in degeneration of about half of these efferent terminals. Efferent synaptic bulbs to the inner hair-cell system are small, of the order of one micron, and form type 2 junctions with afferent dendrites. They tend to have more large dense-core vesicles (about 80 nm) than the large efferent terminals of the outer hair-cell system, and appear to be the terminals of axons in the habenula perforata, which exhibit varicosities laden with large dense core vesicles. The varicosities are unaffected by excision of the superior cervical ganglia. So far as our material can reveal, it appears that the varicosities in the habenula perforata do not survive vestibular root interruption, nor do the efferent processes in the internal spiral bundle or at the base of inner hair cells. Most interestingly, the afferent processes of the inner hair-cell system, as identified for example by their relation to pre-synaptic bodies in the inner hair cells, are subject to a trans-synaptic reaction after severance of the vestibular root. They undergo a dramatic cytological transformation, characterized by increase of volume, engorgement with microtubules, microfilaments, microvesicles of various sizes, and clusters of lysosomes. Thus, both the efferent and afferent terminals of the inner hair-cell system show marked cytological differences from the corresponding terminals of the outer hair cell system.
The impact of leaving against medical advice on hospital resource utilization.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of hospital discharge against medical advice (AMA) on the interpretation of charges and length of stay attributable to alcoholism.
Comment on hard-sphere transport coefficients

Abstract The relationship of the time correlation-function expression for transport coefficients to the Enskog theory for a system of hard spheres is reconsidered. The approximation leading to Enskog's results is found to be related to the exact short-time behavior of the time correlation functions.
Criminal Justice and the Liberal Polity

There are several reasonable conceptions of liberalism. A liberal polity can survive a measure of disagreement over just what constitutes liberalism. In part, this is because of the way a liberal order makes possible a dynamic, heterogeneous civil society and how that, in turn, can supply participants with reasons to support a liberal political order. Despite the different conceptions of justice associated with different conceptions of liberalism, there are reasons to distinguish the normative focus of criminal justice from other aspects of justice in a liberal polity. Given the fundamental commitments of liberalism—of whatever variant—there are reasons for criminal justice not to be assimilated to wider conceptions of justice overall. Such assimilation risks undermining some of liberalism's distinctive commitments concerning the standing of individuals as voluntary, responsible agents. Criminal justice is not independent of other aspects of justice but has a distinct focus in a liberal polity.
Prevention of Hydrolytic Rancidity in Rice Bran during Storage

The effect of microwave heating, packaging, and storage temperature on the production of free fatty acids (FFA) in rice bran was examined. Freshly milled raw rice bran was adjusted to 21% moisture content and heated in a microwave oven at 850 W for 3 min. Raw and microwave-heated rice bran were packed in zipper-top bags or vacuum-sealed bags and stored at 4-5 or 25 degrees C for 16 weeks. FFA content of bran was measured at 4-week intervals. Total FFA increased rapidly over the 16-week period from the initial value of 2.5% in raw bran stored at 25 degrees C to 54.9% in vacuum bags and 48.1% in zipper-top bags. However, total FFA of raw bran stored at 4-5 degrees C increased at a slower rate from an initial value of 2. 5 to 25.4% in vacuum bags and 19.5% in zipper-top bags. After 16 weeks of storage, total FFA of microwave-heated bran stored at 25 degrees C increased from 2.8 to 6.9 and 5.2%, respectively, for samples stored in vacuum bags and zipper-top bags. Total FFA of microwave-heated samples stored at 4-5 degrees C did not change significantly with storage time. Results showed that hydrolytic rancidity of rice bran can be prevented by microwave heating and that the recommended storage condition for microwaved rice bran is 4-5 degrees C in zipper-top bags.
Frictional properties and sliding stability of the San Andreas fault from deep drill core

The strength of tectonic faults and the processes that control earthquake rupture remain central questions in fault mechanics and earthquake science. We report on the frictional strength and constitutive properties of intact samples across the main creeping strand of the San Andreas fault (SAF; California, United States) recovered by deep drilling. We find that the fault is extremely weak (friction coefficient, μ = ∼ 0.10), and exhibits both velocity strengthening frictional behavior and anomalously low rates of frictional healing, consistent with aseismic creep. In contrast, wall rock to the northeast shows velocity weakening frictional behavior and positive healing rates, consistent with observed repeating earthquakes on nearby fault strands. We also document a sharp increase in strength to values of μ > ∼0.40 over <1 m distance at the boundary between the fault and adjacent wall rock. The friction values for the SAF are sufficiently low to explain its apparent weakness as inferred from heat flow and stress orientation data. Our results may also indicate that the shear strength of the SAF should remain approximately constant at ∼10 MPa in the upper 5–8 km, rather than increasing linearly with depth, as is commonly assumed. Taken together, our data explain why the main strand of the SAF in central California is weak, extremely localized, and exhibits aseismic creep, while nearby fault strands host repeating earthquakes.
Conversion of Glucose-14C(UL) to 14CO2, 14C-Glycogen, and 14C-Fatty Acids in the Partially Hepatectomized Rat

Plasma free fatty acids and glucose relative role in contribution to metabolic state and energy production in partially hepatectomized rats
Playing with fire: The Soviet–Syrian–Israeli triangle, 1965–1967

Setting out to assess Soviet policy toward Syria and Israel in the two years that preceded the Six Day War, this article argues that the Soviets were trying to implement a policy of detente in the Middle East. Therefore, they were wary of war between Israel and Syria and did their best, albeit clumsily at times, to prevent it from erupting. Their policy moved in cross-purposes to Syrian needs and little by little they lost control over their ally. This story should be read against the backdrop of the rebellion of radical regimes in the Third World against Soviet detente policy, thus emphasizing the ability of actors in the periphery of the Cold War to undermine superpower designs.
Double dissociation without modularity: Evidence from connectionist neuropsychology

Abstract Many theorists assume that the cognitive system is composed of a collection of encapsulated processing components or modules, each dedicated to performing a particular cognitive function. On this view, selective impairments of cognitive tasks following brain damage, as evidenced by double dissociations, are naturally interpreted in terms of the loss of particular processing components. By contrast, the current investigation examines in detail a double dissociation between concrete and abstract word reading after damage to a connectionist network that pronounces words via meaning and yet has no separable components (Plaut & Shallice, 1993). The functional specialization in the network that gives rise to the double dissociation is not transparently related to the network's structure, as modular theories assume. Furthermore, a consideration of the distribution of effects across quantitatively equivalent individual lesions in the network raises specific concerns about the interpretation of single-cas...
Population Genomics: Finding the Variants of Mass Disruption

Abstract A study of positive selection on the promoter of the human interleukin-4 gene suggests that some disease-promoting alleles might be identified as polymorphic sites that affect transcription and occur at different frequencies among human populations.
Human red blood cell choline uptake with age and Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Since previous studies suggested that blood choline homeostasis is altered in aging and in Alzheimer's disease, choline uptake was examined in human red blood cells (RBC) from young adults, intellectually-intact elderly controls and outpatients with Alzheimer's disease. Eadie-Hofstee analysis of uptake by RBC from young controls indicated two components; thus, group comparisons were done with 1 and 50 μM choline in the media. Temperature-dependent choline uptake at low and high choline concentrations increased in RBC from elderly controls (62–66%) or Alzheimer patients (52–54%) compared to young controls. These changes in transport were not directly related to altered RBC choline content, since RBC choline concentrations did not vary significantly between groups. However, plasma choline content was significantly elevated in elderly controls and Alzheimer patients compared to young control values. The RBC to plasma ratio of choline was reduced in elderly compared to young controls, whereas the ratio in Alzheimer patients was between the two other groups. Thus, abnormalities in RBC choline uptake and plasma choline content were not exacerbated in Alzheimer patients, and these results do not support suggestions that Alzheimer's disease is a form of generalized accelerated aging. The striking changes in RBC choline uptake and plasma choline content in elderly subjects do indicate age-related changes in systemic choline homeostasis and these abnormalities may contribute to the predisposition of the elderly to neurological diseases.