cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability physics behind the QFN state of stress

A physically meaningful analytical stress model is developed for the explanation of the reliability physics underlying the relief in the thermally induced interfacial shearing stresses in a typical Quad Flat No-lead (QFN) assembly. The stress relief in a QFN design is, in effect, an implementation of the general concept developed and quantified by the first author about a decade ago of using inhomogeneous bonds for lower thermal stresses in adhesively bonded or soldered assemblies. It is shown also that the maximum stress in the QFN design can be minimized, if the lengths of the peripheral zones are established based on the requirement that the stresses at the ends of the assembly are made equal to the stresses at the ends of its mid-portion. In the carried out numerical example the gain in the relief in the maximum interfacial shearing stress owing to the application of a bond with an elevated compliance is 9.94 %. When the optimized inhomogeneous bond is applied, the gain is 16.87 %. The gain in the stress relief owing to the optimized inhomogeneous bond (with respect to the homogeneous compliant bond) is 10.66 %. The computed interfacial stresses are below the yield stress of the solder material.
LOW STROKE INCIDENCE IN PERSISTENT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION WITH MULTI-ELECTRODE PHASED RADIO-FREQUENCY TECHNOLOGY: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM VICTORY AF STUDY

Background: Catheter ablation for persistent and long standing persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF) is challenging and associated with less favorable outcomes and higher risk of thromboembolic events. VICTORY AF is a prospective, multi-center, controlled study that rigorously and independently
Advance Directives and the Physician-Patient Relationship: A Surprising Metamorphosis

This chapter considers (1) the normative justification for the advance directive movement and, in light of that, its ultimate goal; (2) how the movement has failed to achieve this goal; and (3) the impact of the movement on the physician-patient relationship. While acknowledging the understandable disappointment of the advance directive movement’s most ardent supporters and the well-aimed critiques of many of its detractors, I argue that the movement itself has been a startling success in its impact on the physician-patient relationship—serving as a catalyst for a dramatic metamorphosis.
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a promising, novel method to aid in the assessment of bone quality in forensically relevant skeletal remains. BMD is an important component of bone's nutritional status and in skeletal remains of both juveniles and adults, and it can provide information about bone quality. For adults remains, it can provide information on pathological conditions or when bone insufficiency may have occurred. In juveniles, it provides a useful metric to elucidate cases of fatal starvation or neglect, which are generally difficult to identify. This paper provides a protocol for the anatomical orientation and analysis of skeletal remains for scanning via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Three case studies are presented to illustrate when DXA scans can be informative to the forensic practitioner. The first case study presents an individual with observed longitudinal fractures in the weight bearing bones and DXA is used to assess bone insufficiency. BMD is found to be normal suggesting another etiology for the fracture pattern present. The second case study employed DXA to investigate suspected chronic malnutrition. The BMD results are consistent with results from long bone lengths and suggest the juvenile had suffered from chronic malnutrition. The final case study provides an example where fatal starvation in a fourteen-month infant is suspected, which supports autopsy findings of fatal starvation. DXA scans showed low bone mineral density for chronological age and is substantiated by traditional assessments of infant health. However, when dealing with skeletal remains taphonomic alterations should be considered before applying this method.
Abstract P190: Triggering of Coronary Heart Disease by Infection Type: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Introduction: Acute infections are known triggers of coronary heart disease (CHD). It is unclear how the strength of the association varies by infection type. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that all a...
Neighborhood socioeconomic status, sleep duration, and napping in middle-to-old aged US men and women.

Study Objectives Earlier studies have linked neighborhood disadvantage with poor sleep outcomes. However, little is known about the association between changes in one's neighborhood over time and night sleep and napping. In over 300000 middle-to-old aged Americans, we examined neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and change in neighborhood SES in relation to nocturnal sleep duration and napping. Methods Nocturnal sleep duration and daytime napping were self-reported at baseline (1995-1996). Participants also reported baseline residential addresses, which were linked to US censuses. We derived a neighborhood SES index using census variables and calculated the baseline level and change (1990-2000) in neighborhood SES. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between neighborhood SES over time and nocturnal sleep and napping. Results Lower baseline neighborhood SES was associated with short sleep, long sleep, and napping. When compared with the highest quintile of neighborhood SES, the lowest was associated with 46% and 72% increase in relative risk (RR) of reporting very short (< 5 hours) sleep, 28% and 19% higher RR of long (≥9 hours) sleep and 95% and 85% increase in long (≥1 hours) nap in men and women, respectively. Moreover, a decrease in neighborhood SES was associated with higher RR of reporting very short sleep in women; while an improvement in neighborhood SES was associated with an increase in RR of long sleep in men. Conclusions Neighborhood disadvantage and worsening neighborhood conditions were associated with unhealthy sleep behaviors. These results reinforce a growing literature on the potential importance of neighborhood context for understanding sleep health.
Cefazolin-Related Acute Interstitial Nephritis with Associated Nephrotic-Range Proteinuria: A Case Report

A 67-year-old male with history of well controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension developed acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) with nephrotic-range proteinuria during treatment with cefazolin for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteremia. The patient received intravenous cefazolin 2 g every 8 h for 4 weeks prior to presentation to the emergency department with abdominal distension, nausea, and vomiting. Investigations revealed a serum ascites albumin gradient of 1.0 with total protein of 1.8 g/dL suggestive of nephrotic syndrome, which was confirmed with a spot urine protein/creatinine ratio that estimated 7.95 g of protein per day. Serum creatinine was elevated compared with baseline. Urine studies showed sterile pyuria with 3+ protein and eosinophiluria. The patient was diagnosed with AIN with nephrotic-range proteinuria associated with cefazolin use. Cefazolin was discontinued and, within a couple of days, the patient’s creatinine stabilized. He was discharged with prednisone 60 mg once a day for 10 days with a taper over 2 weeks for his AIN. The patient’s creatinine and proteinuria slowly decreased over the next couple of weeks, however, did not recover to baseline. A Naranjo assessment score of 6 was obtained, indicating a probable relationship between the patient’s AIN with nephrotic-range proteinuria and his use of cefazolin.
Controversies in VTOS: Timing of First Rib Resection After Thrombolysis

Thrombosis of the subclavian vein, or Paget-Schroetter syndrome, is an infrequent condition but one that leads to significant morbidity if not managed appropriately and initially aggressively. Over the last 20 years, a treatment paradigm has gained acceptance that rests on two principles: (1) the elimination (or at least reduction) of the thrombus load to re-establish venous patency; and (2) subsequent decompression of the “venous” thoracic outlet (costoclavicular junction). Catheter-directed thrombolysis should be considered standard of care to reduce clot burden, and response to this and a short course of anticoagulation can help determine the best candidates for operative intervention. An obligate short (3–4 week) period of operative delay allows the selection of those patients that may not require first rib resection. While younger patients who are potentially more active and might engage more rapidly in strenuous activities in the near future are perhaps the sub-group that should be offered surgical decompression, we believe it is unlikely that ALL patients must undergo operative decompression.
Preliminary Implementation of PETSc Using GPUs

PETSc is a scalable solver library for the solution of algebraic equations arising from the discretization of partial differential equations and related problems. PETSc is organized as a class library with classes for vectors, matrices, Krylov methods, preconditioners, nonlinear solvers, and differential equation integrators. A new subclass of the vector class has been introduced that performs its operations on NVIDIA GPU processors. In addition, a new sparse matrix subclass that performs matrix-vector products on the GPU was introduced. The Krylov methods, nonlinear solvers, and integrators in PETSc run unchanged in parallel using these new subclasses. These can be used transparently from existing PETSc application codes in C, C++, Fortran, or Python. The implementation is done with the Thrust and Cusp C++ packages from NVIDIA.
Speech, Hearing, and Reading Disorders

The broad area of biofeedback application considered in this section includes work on stuttering (Guitar, 1975; Hanna, Wifling, & McNeil, 1975; Lanyon, Barrington, & Newman, 1976; Treon & Tamayo, 1974; Cross, 1977; Lanyon, 1977), voice quality and intensity (Brody, Nelson, & Brody, 1975; Daly & Johnson, 1974), dysarthia (Netsell & Cleeland, 1973), tinnitus (Grossan, 1976; House, 1978; House, Miller, & House, 1977), teaching speech to the deaf (Nickerson & Stevens, 1973), and nonclinical studies on subvocalization during reading (Hardyck, Petrinovich, & Ellsworth, 1966; Hardyck & Petrinovich, 1969; Aarons, 1971).
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF AN ELLIPTICAL HOLE IN STRETCHED SKIN

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the finite element analysis of an elliptical hole in stretched skin. In this study, the strain energy function developed by Veronda and Westmann was utilized in a finite element computer program to study the stress state and displacement field of an elliptical hole in the skin subjected to a tension field. This finite element program is based on finite elasticity theory and has been successfully used by Oden and Key to investigate the deformed shape of an initially circular hole in a square rubbery sheet subjected to finite uniaxial stretching. To test the accuracy of the finite element program, a simple uniaxial tension model was run. The results indicate that the finite element method provides a powerful tool to investigate the stress states surrounding wounds in the skin. The results were based on an isotropic model and can only be considered valid in a relative sense. To increase the utility of the program, anisotropic effects must be included.
Glial Transport of Amino Acid Neurotransmitter Candidates

The finding that glia had a high-affinity transport system for GABA (Henn and Hamberger, 1971), and the almost simultaneous autoradiographic confirmation of at least some glial localization for this substance in a variety of preparations (Hokfelt and Ljungdahl, 1970; Orkand and Kravitz, 1971; Neal and Iversen, 1972), suggested a closer investigation of glial transport of putative neurotransmitters. The initial studies on GABA transport were carried out using a bulk-isolated glial cell fraction obtained by the method of Bloomstrand and Hamberger (1969).
Considering Servant Organizational Structures

In this chapter, we consider the critical issue of organizational structure and how different structures serve to enhance or hinder servant leadership practice. Can servant leadership function effectively in different organizational structures? Might a servant leadership mindset help to support and even create new types of organizational forms that can take us beyond the limitations of authority-based hierarchy? The work of Mintzberg and his five organization types are considered and the work of Laloux is examined to see how his model of Green and Teal organizations relates to the servant leadership approach. Issues of self-managing teams, high-trust organizations, and building leadership cultures are considered. Consideration is given as to how organizational structures might change based on the OLA-related health level of the organization.
Comparing Inpatient Complication Rates between Octogenarians and Nonagenarians following Primary and Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Nationally Representative Sample, 2010–2014

We compared inpatient postoperative complication rates between octogenarians and nonagenarians undergoing primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). We used inpatient admission data from 2010–2014 from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). We compared the rates at which nonagenarians and octogenarians developed each complication in the inpatient setting following both primary THA (PTHA) and revision THA (RTHA). A total of 40,944 inpatient admissions were included in our study which extrapolates to a national estimate of 199,793 patients. A total of 185,799 (93%) were octogenarians and 13,994 (7%) were nonagenarians. PTHA was performed on 155,669 (78%) and RTHA was performed on 44,124 (22%) of the patients. Nonagenarians undergoing PTHA required transfusions significantly more frequently (33.13% v. 24.0%, p < 0.001) and developed urinary tract infection (5.14% v. 3.92%, p = 0.012) and acute kidney injury (5.50% v. 3.57%, p < 0.001) significantly more frequently than octogenarians. Nonagenarians undergoing RTHA required transfusions significantly more frequently (51.43% v. 41.46%, p < 0.001) and developed urinary tract infection (19.66% v. 11.73%, p < 0.001), acute kidney injury (13.8% v. 9.66%, p < 0.001), pulmonary embolism (1.24% v. 0.67%, p = 0.031), postoperative infection (1.89% v. 1.11%, p = 0.023), sepsis (3.59% v. 2.43%, p = 0.021) and other postoperative shock (1.76% v. 1.06%, p = 0.036) significantly more frequently than octogenarians. Nonagenarians undergoing RTHA also had a significantly higher inpatient mortality rate (3.28% v. 1.43%, p < 0.001) than octogenarians. Orthopedic surgeons and primary care providers can use these findings to help counsel both their octogenarian and nonagenarian patients preoperatively when considering THA. Our analysis can help these patients better understand expected inpatient complication rates and assist them in deciding whether to pursue surgical intervention when applicable.
Stability Criteria for Power Systems with Damping Control and Asymmetric Feedback Delays

Power system inter-area oscillations can be damped using distributed control of multiple power injections within the interconnection. This type of control traditionally requires system-wide measurements which are transmitted from dispersed, sometimes remote, locations and are subject to delays. This paper evaluates the effect that delayed feedback signals have on the stability of a two-area power system and presents delay-dependent criteria for stability using two different implementations of a damping controller. The controllers are based on a uniform proportional control action and use two feedback signals one from each area of the two-area power system. Each of these signals is subject to an independent delay. Using a Lyapunov-based approach, sufficient conditions for stability that depend on each time delay are found for a range of proportional control gains. Numerical results show that the regions of time delays for which the system is stable are reduced as the proportional gain increases. Time domain simulations validate these stability regions and show the varying responses for the two control implementations and different values of the proportional gain.
Replacing Truth with Social Hope and Progress with Redescription: Can the Pragmatist Philosophy of Richard Rorty Help Reinvigorate Planning?:

Through a review of Richard Rorty’s philosophical work and critiques of original planning documents from the Urban Renewal era, this paper makes three points. First, a pragmatist epistemological ap...
The 36-hour day: a family guide to caring for people who have Alzheimer disease, other Dementia, and Memory Loss

The 36-Hour Day is intended to help family caregivers adjust to the day-to-day tasks of caring for a person with dementia. This is the sixth edition of a work originally published in 1981. It inclu...
Selection and demography shape genomic variation in a Sky Island species

Over time, populations of species can expand, contract, and become isolated, creating subpopulations that can adapt to local conditions. Understanding how species adapt following these changes is of great interest, especially as the current climate crisis has caused range shifts for many species. Here, we characterize how Drosophila innubila came to inhabit and adapt to its current range: mountain forests in southwestern USA separated by large expanses of desert. Using population genomic data from more than 300 wild-caught individuals, we examine four distinct populations to determine their population history in these mountain-forests, looking for signatures of local adaptation to establish a genomic model for this spatially-distributed system with a well understood ecology. We find D. innubila spread northwards during the previous glaciation period (30-100 KYA), and has recently expanded even further (0.2-2 KYA). Surprisingly, D. innubila shows little evidence of population structure, though consistent with a recent migration, we find signatures of a population contraction following this migration, and signatures of recent local adaptation and selective sweeps in cuticle development and antifungal immunity. However, we find little support for recurrent selection in these genes suggesting recent local adaptation. In contrast, we find evidence of recurrent positive selection in the Toll-signaling system and the Toll-regulated antimicrobial peptides.
From jugaad to jugalbandi: Understanding the changing nature of Indian innovation

In this perspectives paper, I employ the term jugalbandi to describe the ways in which many contemporary Indian organizations engage in innovation. Through a description of three Indian organizations – ISRO, Amul and Aadhaar – I illustrate how this distinctive approach draws both on jugaad – and its emphasis on being frugal, flexible and inclusive – as well as systematic innovation, with its focus on building capabilities, relying on process and advancing technological frontiers. As a homegrown approach, jugalbandi builds on an “Indian” way of doing things while imbibing influences from other modes, and is enabling organizations build their innovation capacities even as they remain relevant to their contexts. In developing this conceptualization, I highlight the need to appreciate the contextual and institutional roots of innovation, suggest that trajectories of development within emerging economies will remain distinctive and provide both practical and policy advice on how actors should pursue innovation in these scenarios.
Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation in Osteoporosis and Fragility Hip Fracture Patients: A Retrospective NHANES Study

Adequate vitamin D and calcium supplementation therapy in osteoporosis reduces the risk of fragility fractures and correlates with improved mortality outcomes in postoperative fragility hip fracture patients. However, the prevalence of adequate supplementation in this population remains unclear. Our purpose was to describe supplement use among the adult population in United States who have been told they had osteoporosis and identify factors associated with adequate supplementation, particularly in patients with history of hip fracture. The study sample comprised a total of 15,968 respondents from the National Health and Examinations Survey (NHANES 2007–2010, 2013–2014); 1,065 self-reported a diagnosis of osteoporosis and 266 self-reported a history of hip fracture. Additional patient factors were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression to assess associated factors of adequate vitamin D (≥ 600 international unit [IU]/day) and calcium (≥ 1000 mg/day) supplementation. The prevalence of vitamin D and calcium supplementation was significantly higher in the osteoporosis group than without (p = 0.001). However, supplemental intake reached adequate levels (≥ 600 IU/day of vitamin D and ≥ 1000mg/day of calcium) in only 28.8% of individuals with osteoporosis for vitamin D, 51.6% for calcium, and 19.2% for both. Of individuals with additional history of hip fracture, only 14% reported adequate intake of both nutrients. Female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 2.35, p
Persistent phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor causing tumor-induced osteomalacia treated with image-guided ablation

Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors (PMTs) can present with vague symptoms of diffuse bone pain with pathologic fractures that often lead to a delayed diagnosis. We present a 60-year-old patient with a PMT that was persistently hypophosphatemic after resection, who was then successfully treated with cryoablation of the tumor. Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare cause of hypophosphatemia characterized by vague symptoms of gradual muscle weakness and diffuse bone pain with pathologic fractures that often lead to a delayed diagnosis. This condition is usually caused by benign phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors (PMTs). Here, we present a case of persistent PMT after surgical resection treated with image-guided ablation. We present the patient’s clinical examinations and laboratory findings (phosphorus, 1,25 (OH)2d, FGF-23, Intact PTH). Representative histologic images of a PMT are also presented. A 61-year-old male was evaluated for persistent hypophosphatemia and presumed osteomalacia. Six years earlier, he underwent surgical excision of a left ischial mass after presenting with TIO. The pathology was consistent with a PMT; however, hypophosphatemia persisted suggesting incomplete resection. He was treated with calcitriol and phosphate salts. A PET Ga68 dotatate scan of the patient revealed an avid left ischial mixed lytic and sclerotic lesions with marked amount of radiotracer uptake, suggesting persistent tumor. The patient was resistant to re-excision of the tumor due to the extended recovery period from his prior surgery and was treated instead with cryoablation of the tumor. His biochemical findings of hypophosphatemia and elevated FGF23 resolved after the ablation and have remained normal for 5 months after surgery. In patients with TIO, wide surgical excision is the treatment of choice. When this is not possible, image-guided ablation is an alternative therapeutic option.
Measuring and Leveraging Motives and Values in Dietary Interventions

Why measure and leverage food motives and values? Every failure and every success in dietary change can be connected to motivation. Therefore, this research question naturally arises: How can food motives and values be measured and leveraged to improve diet outcomes from the individual to populations? There are four ways that food motives and values (FMVs) can assist researchers and health professionals. First, FMVs can help to create a personalized approach to dietary change. Second, FMVs can inform content for dietary interventions. Third, these FMV measures can be used in data analysis to elucidate differences in adherence and outcomes among participants. Fourth, public health nutrition messages can be tailored using information on FMVs. Each of these uses has the potential to further the literature and inform future efforts to improve diet. A central aim of our study is to provide specific examples and recommendations on how to measure and leverage FMVs. To do so, we reviewed 12 measures included in the literature citing the Food Choice Questionnaire by Steptoe, Pollard, and Wardle, which was identified as the earliest, highly cited article appearing under the search terms "food motives" AND "food values" AND "eating behavior" AND "measure". Specific details on how articles were selected from the citing literature are described in the Methods section. We also expound on our reasoning for including the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, which made for 13 measures in total. Our main finding is that each measure has strengths and shortcomings to consider in using FMVs to inform nutritional recommendations at different levels.
Conservation machine learning: a case study of random forests

Conservation machine learning conserves models across runs, users, and experiments-and puts them to good use. We have previously shown the merit of this idea through a small-scale preliminary experiment, involving a single dataset source, 10 datasets, and a single so-called cultivation method-used to produce the final ensemble. In this paper, focusing on classification tasks, we perform extensive experimentation with conservation random forests, involving 5 cultivation methods (including a novel one introduced herein-lexigarden), 6 dataset sources, and 31 datasets. We show that significant improvement can be attained by making use of models we are already in possession of anyway, and envisage the possibility of repositories of models (not merely datasets, solutions, or code), which could be made available to everyone, thus having conservation live up to its name, furthering the cause of data and computational science.
Role of NKCC1 and KCC2 in the development of chronic neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury

Neuropathic pain is a common problem following spinal cord injury (SCI). Effective analgesic therapy has been hampered by the lack of knowledge about the mechanisms underlying post-SCI neuropathic pain. Current evidence suggests GABAergic spinal nociceptive processing is a critical functional node in this complex phenotype, representing a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Normal GABA neurotransmission is dependent on precise regulation of the level of intracellular chloride, which is determined by the coordinated activities of two cation/chloride cotransporters (CCCs) in the SLC12 family: the inwardly directed Na(+)-K(+)-Cl(-) cotransporter isoform 1 (NKCC1) and outwardly directed K(+)-Cl(-) cotransporter isoform 2 (KCC2). Inhibition of NKCC1 with its potent antagonist bumetanide reduces pain behavior in rats following SCI. Moreover, the injured spinal cord tissues exhibit a significant transient upregulation of NKCC1 protein and a concurrent downregulation of KCC2 protein. Thus, imbalanced function of NKCC1 and KCC2 may contribute to the induction and maintenance of the chronic neuropathic pain following SCI.
Stereospecificity of Tripeptide Utilization in a Methionine Auxotroph of Escherichia coli K-12

The stereospecificity of peptide utilization in Escherichia coli K-12 4212, a methionine auxotroph, was investigated using diastereomers of trimethionine and trimethionine methyl ester. Of the eight stereoisomers examined, only l-Met-l-Met-l-Met, l-Met-l-Met-d-Met, and d-Met-l-Met-l-Met and the corresponding methyl esters serve as growth substrates. Triornithine-resistant mutants of strain 4212 were isolated which failed to transport d-Met-l-Met-l-Met. These results provide evidence that an oligopeptide containing a d residue at its amine terminus can enter E. coli by the oligopeptide transport system.
Managing moore's Law: A survival guide for VLSI circuit manufacturers

• A qualitative empirical study of the VLSI circuit manufacturing explores the challenges of pursuing Moore's law.
Of Neocolonialism, Common Law and Uncodifiable Shari’a: A Reply to Professor An-Na’im

In an earlier article -- Robinson et al., Codifying Shari'a: International Norms, Legality & the Freedom to Invent New Forms, http://ssrn.com/abstract=941443 -- the authors report the challenges and opportunities that arose during their commission by the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of the Maldives to produce the first modern comprehensive criminal code based upon Shari'a.In this brief essay they respond to published criticisms of that project, which asserted, among other things, that Shari'a cannot be codified, that it should not be codified, that the project was a shameful exercise in neocolonialism, that the project was an act of oppression in complicity with an insufficiently democratic government, and that the project was done badly because it got Shari'a wrong, because it sometimes did not follow Shari'a, or because it was insufficiently sensitive to the methodology and process inherent in Shari'a.
A Precision Subsidy Management System for Strawberry Planting in ChangPing District of BeiJing

The misuse of pesticide and fertilizer take a great pollution to the agricultural environment, which seriously affects the quality and safety of agricultural products. The government put forward a series of policies of subsidy to lead the farmers to proper pesticide application and scientific farming. But the effect doesn’t turn out as it wished to be because of the backward implementation methods and Stat methods. This research provides a Precision Management method for effectively managing subsidies for agriculture. Based on Non-contact IC card, the authors developed a Precision Management System for agricultural related subsidies management. This system was applied in one center and eleven experiment stores in ChangPing district in Beijing and solved problems like poor instruction for planting, tardy in subsidies providing and inaccurate information of stat during the strawberry growing season. Through this system, farmers can get the subsidies and instruction at the moment they buy agricultural materials, government can obtain the accurate data, and then adjustment the policies in time to get the desired effect.
Plant Defences Against Herbivore and Insect Attack

Plants deploy a number of defences against herbivore and insect attack. A primary defence is the production of toxins to poison the attackers. Other strategies include the development of thorns and tough unpalatable tissue to deter herbivores, and the recruitment of parasitoids and predators that attack herbivores. Keywords: plant–herbivore interactions; plant secondary chemistry; chemical defences; coevolution; biotechnology
ULTRASENSITIVE X-RAY SENSORS GIVE IMPROVED CONTRAST SENSITIVITY

Low-light-level cameras used with phosphors detect very small contrast differences and very small features in x-ray images. I used (1) a silicon-intensifier-tube television camera coupled by a fiber optic to a phosphor screen and (2) an integrating chargecoupled device camera focused on a phosphor to detect in a digital image a 0.27% contrast difference and 2-μm-diam wires.
Spirulina platensis Extract Enhances Chicken Macrophage Functions After in vitro Exposure

Abstract The effects of Spirulina platensis (Sp) extract exposure on chicken macrophages were examined. Sephadex-elicited abdominal exudate macrophage monolayers were exposed to varying concentrations (10 to 40 μg/ml) of Sp for 1 to 16 hours. Spirulina-treated macrophages exhibited phenotypic changes in terms of increased spreading and vacuolization with minimal cytotoxicity. Percentage of phagocytic macrophages for unopsonized sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and average number of internalized SRBC was significantly higher in Sp-treated macrophages as compared to the sham-treated controls. However, phagocytosis of opsonized SRBC was not affected by Sp-treatment. Macrophage cultures exposed to Sp produced a factor in their culture supernatant with tumoricidal potential which was similar in reactivity to the one produced by macrophages after exposure to lipopolysaccharide. The ability of splenic natural killer cells to kill tumor cell targets was not affected by Sp treatment. These findings suggest that Spirul...
Clinical life: expectation and the double edge of medical promise.

This article introduces the concept of clinical life to capture a form of life produced in the pursuit and wake of medically achieved longevity. Relying on the retrospective accounts of 28 individu...
Monthly variation of United States pediatric headache emergency department visits.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to determine the monthly variation of emergency department (ED) visits for pediatric headache. We hypothesized youth have increased headache-related ED visits in the months associated with school attendance. METHODS: Using a United States representative sample of ED visits in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 1997 to 2009, we estimated number of visits associated with ICD-9 codes related to headache, migraine, status migrainosus, or tension-type headache in 5- to 18-year-olds. Age-stratified multivariate models are presented for month of visit (July as reference). RESULTS: There was a national estimate of 250,000 ED visits annually related to headache (2.1% of total visits) in 5- to 18-year-olds. In 5- to 11-year-olds, the adjusted rate of headache-related visits was lower in April (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.20, 0.88). In 12- to 18-year-olds, there were higher rates in January (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.16, 3.14) and September (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.06, 2.55). CONCLUSIONS: In adolescents we found higher ED utilization in January and September, the same months associated with school return from vacation for a majority of children nationally. No significant reduction in the summer suggests that school itself is not the issue, but rather changes in daily lifestyle and transitions. Language: en
Family Stress, Social Support, Violence, and Sons' Behavior:

Although the low income, female-headed, inner-city family has been repeatedly linked to child behavior problems, the family processes related to child misbehavior in this high risk group have not been identified. In a group of predominantly African American inner-city low-income mothers who lived alone with their children, the relationships between family stress, social support, mothers' conflict resolution tactics, and sons' behavior were examined using the family stress adaptation model, and potential nursing interventions were identified. The sample of low-income, inner-city mother-alone families reported more family stress and less social support than normative White Anglo-Saxon Protestant families. Family violence rates did not differ between the sample and nationally representative normative groups. Thirty-nine percent of sons, referred to the study because of school difficulties, were reported to have behavior problems requiring additional assessment. Analysis confirmed the fit of sample data to the model and identified family stress as the best site for nursing intervention for these high-risk families. Language: en
An Innovative Non-invasive ECG Sensor and Comparison Study with Clinic System

A conventional Electrocardiography (ECG) acquisition system uses contact method which requires the electrodes to be in contact with human skin. This study proposes a non-contact sensing platform that can remotely detect the signals in real time. The current sensing system developed in our research was able to detect the ECG signals with an effective distance of 20cm. Digital signal processing algorithms including digital filer, peak identification was developed to decimate the signal noise and compute the period. The heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), breath frequency can be determined. The performance is compared with conventional ECG system in clinic study. It shows high potential to collect effective information for clinic application.
Stability of planar shock fronts for multidimensional systems of relaxation equations

Abstract We investigate stability of multidimensional planar shock profiles of a general hyperbolic relaxation system whose equilibrium model is a system, under the necessary assumption of spectral stability and a standard set of structural conditions that are known to hold for many physical systems. Our main result, generalizing the work of Kwon and Zumbrun in the scalar relaxation case, is to establish the bounds on the Greenʼs function for the linearized equation and obtain nonlinear L 2 asymptotic behavior/sharp decay rate of perturbed weak shock profiles. To establish Greenʼs function bounds, we use the semigroup approach in the low-frequency regime, and use the energy method for the high-frequency bounds, separately. For the system equilibrium case, the analysis of the linearized equation is complicated due to glancing phenomena. We treat this difficulty similarly as in the inviscid and viscous systems, under the constant multiplicity condition.
Rat beta casein cDNA: sequence analysis and evolutionary comparisons.

Abstract The complete sequence of a 1072 nucleotide rat beta-casein cDNA insertion in the hybrid plasmid pC beta 23 has been determined. Primer extension was employed to determine the sequence of an additional 82 5'-terminal nucleotides in beta-casein mRNA. Rat beta-casein mRNA consists of a 696 nucleotide coding region, flanked by 52 nucleotide 5' and 406 nucleotide 3' noncoding regions, including a 40 nucleotide poly(A) tail. The derived 216 amino acid sequence of rat beta-casein was compared to the previously determined sequences of beta-caseins from several other species. Approximately 38% of the amino acids have been conserved among the rat, ovine, bovine and human sequences and these conserved amino acids occurred in clusters throughout the protein. One such cluster containing the majority of the potential casein phosphorylation sites was located near the amino terminus. Contrary to the considerable divergence observed for the processed beta-casein, 14 of 15 amino acids in the signal peptide sequence of the precasein were identical between the rat and ovine caseins.
Why Subjects Say They Would or Would Not Communicate Affectively Toned Messages

varying in the extent to which the message connoted gocd or bad news for the recipient. Within a standard communication situation, subjects were asked to indicate if they would transmit each message and to list their reasons for the decision to transmit or not transmit. Results of a content analysis of reasons indicated that, with increasing frequency, persons justify their communication decisions in terms of self-relevant reasons, normative reasons, and recipientrelevant reasons. The impact on chese reasons of message valence and whether the decision is to communicate or not is also explored. Folk wisdom suggests that no news is good news. However, recent, systematic investigation of situations relevant to this aphorism leads to just the opposite conclusion, namely, that bad news tends to be withheld while good news is freely transmitted. This phenomenon has been referred to as the MUM effect, i.e., a tendency to keep MUM about Unwanted Messages (Rosen & Tesser, 1970). Tesser and Rosen (1975) have reviewed a good bit of evidence suggesting that the MUM effect is a result of three factors: the communicator's concern for himself, the communicator's concern for the recipient, and norms concerning the transmission of various messages. In none of the studies reviewed, however, were subjects systematically asked why they did or would communicate a particular message or why they did not or would not communicate a particular message. The present study was undertaken to fill that void. In spite of the fact that subjects are sometimes unable or unwilling to describe the variable( s ) that determine their behavior (Freedman, 1969), often their self-reports are quite accurate, especially with respect to their propensity to communicate a particular message ( Tesser, Rosen, & Batchelor, 1972a). Also, subjects' self-generated reasons for communicating and not communicating may usefully serve to validate previous'hypotheses as well as to suggest new hypotheses.
Observations of measles virus infection of cultured human cells. I. A study of development and spread of virus antigen by means of immunofluorescence.

The development of measles virus in cultures of both primary human amnion cells and H.Ep.-2 cells has been followed by means of the indirect fluorescent antibody technic and concurrent light and electron microscope observations. The immunofluorescence studies revealed that there is a latent period for development of demonstrable measles virus antigen. In amnion cells the latent period lasted for at least 3 days. In contrast, virus antigen could be detected in H.Ep.-2 cells as early as 12 hours following inoculation. In each cell system virus antigen was seen in either nucleus or cytoplasm of infected cells, or both. Early localization tended to be perinuclear. Intranuclear fluorescence was generally less bright and less widespread than cytoplasmic fluorescence. Giant cells and long cytoplasmic spindle-shaped processes appeared regularly in infected cultures. Infectious virus was liberated into the nutrient fluid but when extracellular virus was inhibited by antibody, spread of infection from cell to cell in the monolayer still continued. Results obtained in concurrent electron microscope studies will be presented separately. Correlation of the results of the immunofluorescence and electron microscope studies suggests the possibility that much of the immunofluorescence observed might be due to antigen in virus precursors or components.
Increased obesity in children living in rural communities of Louisiana.

Objective. Rates of obesity among children have been rising in recent years. Information on the prevalence of obesity in children living in rural communities is needed. We report the prevalence of ...
Strategic implications of consumer food safety preferences

Abstract This study examines the tradeoffs consumers are willing to make relative to food safety attributes and other product attributes, such as quality and price, and develops implications for both the government and private sector firms. Conjoint analysis was used to elicit consumers’ preferences for fresh Red Delicious apples. The attributes studied include price, product quality as depicted by the level of defects, a variable representing the level of pesticide usage and the associated cancer risk, and a variable representing different levels of government inspection. The results indicated that most consumers have a strong preference for increased food safety. Government policy options that are explored include stricter production standards, improved regulatory monitoring, and government-defined labels. Private industry options that are examined include grower labels, retailer labels, and third party labels.
Geothermal environmental exposure testing of encapsulant and device materials for harsh environment MEMS sensors

The development of harsh environment sensors for down hole geothermal well monitoring is needed to both optimize current production wells and to develop more accurate subsurface mapping to reduce the cost of well exploration. Exposure testing of encapsulant and device materials must be conducted within harsh environments to determine material survivability in the well bore environment. Mass change and sputter XPS chemical analysis were conducted on silicon, sapphire, silicon carbide (SiC), and aluminum nitride (AlN) after up to 100 hours of exposure testing in water at its critical point.
Mercapturic acid formation in the metabolism of propachlor, CDAA, and fluorodifen in the rat

Abstract When [ 14 C]F 3 -fluorodifen (2,4′-dinitro-4-trifluoromethyl diphenylether), carbonyl-[ 14 C]CDAA ( N,N -diallyl-2-chloroacetamide), and carbonyl- 14 C-propachlor (2-chloro- N -isopropylacetanilide) were fed to rats, 57 to 86% of the 14 C was excreted via the urine within 48 hr. Although very little radioactivity was excreted in the feces of CDAA-treated rats, 15–22% of the 14 C was excreted in the feces of propachlor- of fluorodifentreated rats and an average of 8% of the 14 C remained in these rats 48 hr after treatment. Oxidation of the 14 C label to [ 14 C]O 2 was not a major process in the metabolism of these herbicides. The only major radioactive metabolite present in the 24-h urine of fluorodifen-treated rats, 2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl mercapturic acid, accounted for 41% of the administered dose of 14 C. In the metabolism of CDAA, the corresponding mercapturic acid accounted for 76% of the dose; it was the only major metabolite present in the 24-h urine. In contrast, three major metabolites were detected in the 24-h urine of propachlortreated rats, and the mercapturic acid accounted for only 20% of the dose. The mercapturic acid of each herbicide was identified by mass spectrometry.
Double-channel bus forces and inductance

WHEN ARRANGED PROPERLY, channel conductors possess certain desirable electrical and mechanical characteristics. Thus, they can be arranged so that the cross section of the resulting bus approaches Arnold's equal inductance cross sections1 for which geometry the skin and proximity effects are reduced to a minimum. Channel conductors have considerable mechanical rigidity with which to withstand short-circuit forces. Their shape enables an open construction which simplifies ventilation and heat-dissipation problems.
Combined sling and grasping forceps technique for embedded inferior vena cava filter retrieval.

Even though the present case illustrates successful conservative management of an IVC injury, it is important to emphasize that endovascular or surgical therapy was deferred secondary to the patient’s persistent hemodynamic and clinical stability, and a more aggressive approach may be warranted for patients in whom symptoms develop. In addition, despite the large volume of standard and complex IVC filter removals performed by the authors, this is the only case of retrieval-related caval perforation. It is possible that the patient’s hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia may have contributed to this rare complication, as these patients exhibit impaired aggregation and adhesion of platelets and abnormal synthesis of von Willebrand factor. In the present case, temporary balloon occlusion, in addition to the tamponading effect of the retroperitoneal hematoma, likely contained the caval perforation sufficiently to allow evolution of active extravasation into a contained— and eventually thrombosed—pseudoaneurysm.
Asian Male Domestic Violence Victims: Services Exclusive for Men

The main reasons abused men do not seek social services include their strong endorsement of social/cultural values and avoidance of gender role conflict. Through internet-based service connections, we did not find sources in Asia, Australia, or New Zealand that advertised programs exclusively for male victims of domestic violence (DV). Nine social services in Hong Kong and Singapore describe their work with men in DV situations, but the main focus is “men as perpetrators.” Targeting men as victims, 32 sources in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom describe services designed especially for male DV victims. Findings demonstrate that services for male victims must address such factors as secretiveness, cultural values, masculine identity, tolerance, shame, and loss of face.