cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cluster formation in amorphous and polycrystalline thin films

Abstract Ions field evaporating from thin films r.f. sputter deposited onto molybdenum and tungsten tips in the presence of hydrogen are identified by employing an energy-focused atom probe field ion microscope. The existence of multiatomic clusters is unequivocally established. While the abundance of clusters for a well-developed tungsten tip is about 0.01%, polycrystalline sputtered metal films (nickel, gold and platinum) yield 2–5% cluster ions. For polycrystalline NiO x films and amorphous germanium and silicon films, the yield of clusters increases up to about 20% and the cluster size also increases. The abundance of cluster ions is thus directly related to the degree of disorder of the materials. Study of cluster ion formation may shed light on the bonding mechanisms of thin film materials.
Three Late Paleocoastal Shell Middens on Santa Cruz Island, California

AbstractWe describe three Late Paleocoastal shell middens recently identified on Santa Cruz Island, dated between ∼8800 and 8450 cal yr BP. Exposed and threatened by coastal erosion, the sites are located along the front edge of a raised marine terrace, buried beneath 2–3 m of alluvium. Situated along a broad sandy beach today, the sites were situated ∼600 m from contemporary shorelines, with faunal assemblages dominated by rocky shore shellfish species.
Using factor analysis to confirm the validity of children's self-reported health-related quality of life across different modes of administration

Background The measurement of pediatric health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in pediatric medicine and health services research has grown significantly over the past decade. While HRQOL instruments are often administered in clinic settings, alternative modes of administration are also utilized such as mail and telephone surveys. In order for comparisons across in-person, mail, and telephone administration to be valid, items on a HRQOL measure must have equivalent meaning across mode of administration. That is, they must demonstrate factorial invariance (stable factor structure) across mode of administration.Purpose The objective of the present study was to implement the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) method for invariance testing across mode of administration for children's self-reported HRQOL.Methods Multigroup CFA was performed specifying a five-factor model across three modes of administration groups (in-person, mail, and telephone survey). The 23-item PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scales ...
HIV, alcohol dependence, and the criminal justice system: a review and call for evidence-based treatment for released prisoners

Background: People with both HIV and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are disproportionately concentrated within the U.S. criminal justice system; approximately one-quarter of all people with HIV cycle through the system each year. HIV-infected prisoners with AUDs face many obstacles as they transition back to the community. Specifically, although they have impressive HIV treatment outcomes during the period of incarceration while they are free from alcohol. Upon release, however, they face inordinate challenges including relapse to alcohol use resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Objective: To review the existing literature regarding the relationship of HIV and treatment for AUDs within the criminal justice system in an effort to determine “best practices” that might effectively result in improved treatment of HIV and AUDs for released prisoners. Methods: PubMed, PsychInfo and Medline were queried for articles published in English from 1990 to 2009. Selected references from primary articles were...
The separation of glycerides by liquid-liquid column partition chromatography

A liquid-liquid partition chromatography method was developed to separate triglycerides. The solvent was a two phase mixture of acetone, heptane, and water supported on silane treated celite. A study was made of the best means for equilibrating the solvents and support, packing the column, and introducing the sample. The effect of various operating variables such as flow rate, sample size, column length, and solvent compositions was studied using trilaurin and trimyristin as model glycerides. Under the best conditions achieved, it was calculated that glycerides differing by two carbon atoms or one double bond would not separate completely, but glycerides differing by two double bonds or four carbon atoms would be separated. Cocoa butter, a relatively simple triglyceride, was fractionated, and the fatty acid composition of each fraction was determined by gas chromatography. The glyceride composition was calculated and compared with theoretical compositions. The results indicate that useful glyceride separation can be obtained with this system. Probably even more useful separations could be obtained if a more sensitive device were used to detect the triglycerides in the effluent. This would allow the use of solvent compositions which give larger retention volumes and more plate efficiency.
873 SPONTANEOUS TRANSFORMATION OF CULTURED SKIN FIBROBLASTS INTO OSTEOBLASTS IN A CASE OF DYSPLASTIC INTRA DERMAL CALCIFICATION

A unique case of spontaneous dysplastic intradermal calcification was identified in a 14 month old child. She presented with a rash at birth which evolved to generalized calcified nodules and plaques. Extensive investigation ruled out known causes of dystrophic calcification. Skin biopsy revealed osteoblast-like cells (OB) surrounding an osteoid layer at the surface of dysplastic woven bone containing osteocytes (OC). Electron microscopy (EM) showed that the OB more closely resembled fibroblasts and the OC appeared to be non-functional. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) was identified by EM techniques in the outer surface of the fibroblast cell membrane 5 microns from the mineralizing front of fibrous bone and along collagen fibers. X-ray microanalysis of the woven bone revealed mineral composition (Ca 41%; P 19%) similar to normal bone but less dense. Skin fibroblasts in vitro apparently transformed to OB after the 4th passage as evidenced by positive Von Kossa staining, high AP activity (201 units/mg protein with 70% heat labile), and morphological appearance. Cyclic-AMP phosphodiesterase activity was markedly elevated in the patient's fibroblasts (mean 708 p moles/mg/min) compared to controls (mean 212 pmole/mg/min). This patient may provide a unique model for studying OB differentiation in vivo and in vitro.
The Law of Nature as the Moral Law

Although Hobbes talks about the laws of nature as prescribing the virtues, it is easier to think of them as proscribing the vices. The nine vices that are proscribed by the laws of nature are injustice, ingratitude, greed or inhumanity, vindictiveness (Hobbes does not name the vice corresponding to mercy, this is my attempt to provide one.), cruelty, incivility or contumely, pride, arrogance, and unfairness (I take this to be the vice corresponding to equity). The corresponding virtues that are prescribed by the laws of nature are justice, gratitude, humanity or complaisance, mercy, (Hobbes does not give, and I do not know what would count as, the virtue corresponding to his account of cruelty), civility, humility, (Hobbes uses this as one of the names for the virtue corresponding to the vice of arrogance, but I am using it as the opposite of pride.), modesty, and equity. The difficulty of coming up with names for some of the virtues, and even for some of the vices, shows that they are not all among the most common moral virtues and vices. Nonetheless, as described by Hobbes, they are genuine moral virtues and vices, traits of character such that all impartial rational persons would favor everyone having the virtues and no one having the vices. All of these virtues are such that they benefit everyone impartially by promoting peace, and are not primarily of benefit to the person having them. This is what makes them moral virtues and distinguishes them from the personal virtues of courage, prudence, and temperance. (See H, XIII, 9) The laws of nature are the dictates "of right reason, conversant about those things which are either to be done or omitted for the constant preservation of life and members, as much as in us lies." (C, II, 1; see also L, XIV, 3) But the law of nature "dictating peace, for a means of the conservation of men in multitudes;" (L, XV, 34; see also C, III, 32) is also the moral law because "in the means to peace, [it] commands also good manners, or the practice of virtue; and therefore it is called moral." (C, III, 31; see also L, XV, 40) Hobbes correctly sees both that peace benefits all persons impartially and that impartiality is essential to morality. His account of the moral virtues correctly makes them traits of character that would be favored by all impartial persons. His argument for the rationality of these moral virtues is that one's self-interest, which for Hobbes is primarily one's long-term preservation, is enhanced by having these virtues. There is no incompatibility between morality and self-interest as long as what is in one's own self-interest is equally in the interest of everyone else. Hobbes sees this point quite clearly and it is at the heart of his justification of the moral virtues.
The Response of the Planetary Boundary Layer to Time Varying Pressure Gradient Force

Abstract The equations for horizontally homogeneous planetary boundary layer flow with constant eddy viscosity are integrated in time and height. The special case for which the direction of the pressure gradient force is a periodic function of time is studied in detail. The nondimensional number F=z(4Kt)−½ is seen to be the proper scale which describes the flow response to the boundary layer.
The Background for the Social Gospel in American Protestantism

Although the social gospel has been described as “the first expression of American religious life which is truly born in America itself,” it was evoked upon the American scene by forces, world-wide in scope, which have everywhere brought about similar reactions in the field of religion. The full setting in of the industrial revolution in country after country of Western civilization created such problems for religion as to lead within a generation to a vigorous enunciation of a social ethic by alert religious leaders of the country. The decade of the 1770's in England saw the beginnings of what Lewis Mumford calls the “paleotechnic” phase of civilization and within a generation Wilberforce and the “Clapham Sect” were thundering against the iniquities of the slave trade. Despite the passions of the great war with France, the cold rigidities of the “dismal science,” and the distracting ecclesiastical convulsions of the Oxford Movement, the development of a social emphasis in religion went on to find expression in the charities of Peabody and Shaftesbury, and the positive teachings of Maurice and Kingsley.
Asian longhorned beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), an introduced pest of maple and other hardwood trees in North America and Europe

The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), threatens urban and forest hardwood trees both where introduced and in parts of its native range. Native to Asia, this beetle has hitchhiked several times in infested wood packaging used in international trade, and has established breeding populations in five U.S. states, Canada, and at least 11 countries in Europe. It has a broad host range for a cerambycid that attacks living trees, but in the introduced ranges it prefers maples. Identification, classification, and life history of this insect are reviewed here. Eradication is the goal where it has been introduced, which requires detection of infested trees using several approaches, including ground and tree-climbing surveys. Several agencies and researchers in the United States and Europe are evaluating the use of pheromone- and kairomone-baited traps. Control options beyond cutting down infested trees are limited. To date, the parasitoids and predators of this beetle have broad host ranges and are unlikely to be approved in the United States or Europe. An effective delivery system under development for entomopathogenic fungi appears promising. Systemic insecticides have been widely used in the United States, but the ability of these chemicals to reach lethal doses in the crown of large trees is disputed by some scientists, and the potential nontarget effects, especially on pollinators, raise concerns. The most practical approach for eradicating Asian longhorned beetle is to optimize trapping methods using semiochemicals for early detection to eliminate the insect before it spreads over large areas.
Retention of advanced cardiac life support knowledge and skills following high-fidelity mannequin simulation training.

Objective. To assess pharmacy students’ ability to retain advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) knowledge and skills within 120 days of previous high-fidelity mannequin simulation training. Design. Students were randomly assigned to rapid response teams of 5-6. Skills in ACLS and mannequin survival were compared between teams some members of which had simulation training 120 days earlier and teams who had not had previous training. Assessment. A checklist was used to record and assess performance in the simulations. Teams with previous simulation training (n=10) demonstrated numerical superiority to teams without previous training (n=12) for 6 out of 8 (75%) ACLS skills observed, including time calculating accurate vasopressor infusion rate (83 sec vs 113 sec; p=0.01). Mannequin survival was 37% higher for teams who had previous simulation training, but this result was not significant (70% vs 33%; p=0.20). Conclusion. Teams with students who had previous simulation training demonstrated numerical superiority in ACLS knowledge and skill retention within 120 days of previous training compared to those who had no previous training. Future studies are needed to add to the current evidence of pharmacy students’ and practicing pharmacists’ ACLS knowledge and skill retention.
Temporal reshaping of ultrashort laser pulses after reflection from GaAs at Brewster's angle

A femtosecond or even a picosecond laser pulse may undergo dramatic temporal reshaping or distortion after reflection from a simple linear interface, provided that the angle of incidence is close to Brewster’s angle. The dependence of the reshaping on the properties of the reflector and of the incident pulse is investigated numerically for a material having a dielectric function exhibiting a resonance that could be that of the GaAs exciton. The practical implications of these results are also discussed.
Physical Activity Interventions in the Elderly: Cancer and Comorbidity

The relationships among age, comorbidity, and physical activity have been relatively understudied among breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer populations despite their known impact on morbidity a...
Probing diffusional transport in redox-active dendrimers

The diffusion coefficients of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (generations 0−4) surface-modified with terpyridyl and bipyridyl ruthenium complexes were determined using cyclic voltammetry (CV), voltammetry at a rotating disk electrode (RDE), and pulsed field gradient spin−echo nuclear magnetic resonance (PFGSE-NMR). In all experiments, the magnitude of the diffusion coefficient decreased with increasing dendrimer size, but each experimental technique led to dramatically different experimental results in terms of the value for a particular molecule. The diffusion coefficients determined by PFGSE-NMR were larger than those determined by RDE, and the diffusion coefficients determined by CV were smaller still. The Stokes−Einstein equation was used to estimate the size of the dendrimers from the measured diffusion coefficients and the results from CV and RDE experiments were found to predict unphysically large diameters for the dendrimer molecules. On the other hand, the diffusion coefficients determined by ...
THE REACTION OF CYCLOOCTATETRAENE WITH DIMETHYLDIOXIRANE

Abstract The reaction of cyclooctatetraene with dimethyldioxirane leads to the formation of four diepoxides, three triepoxides, and two tetraepoxides. The structures of the triepoxides and tetraepoxides were confirmed by x-ray crystallographic analysis.
Serum PCB levels and congener profiles among teachers in PCB-containing schools: a pilot study

Background: PCB contamination in the built environment may result from the release of PCBs from building materials. The significance of this contamination as a pathway of human exposure is not well-characterized, however. This research compared the serum PCB concentrations, and congener profiles between 18 teachers in PCB-containing schools and referent populations. Methods: Blood samples from 18 teachers in PCB-containing schools were analyzed for 57 PCB congeners. Serum PCB concentrations and congener patterns were compared between the teachers, to the 2003-4 NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data, and to data from 358 Greater Boston area men. Results: Teachers at one school had higher levels of lighter (PCB 6-74) congeners compared to teachers from other schools. PCB congener 47 contributed substantially to these elevated levels. Older teachers (ages 50-64) from all schools had higher total (sum of 33 congeners) serum PCB concentrations than age-comparable NHANES reference values. Comparing the teachers to the referent population of men from the Greater Boston area (all under age 51), no difference in total serum PCB levels was observed between the referents and teachers up to 50 years age. However, the teachers had significantly elevated serum concentrations of lighter congeners (PCB 6-74). This difference was confirmed by comparing the congener-specific ratios between groups, and principal component analysis showed that the relative contribution of lighter congeners differed between the teachers and the referents. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the teachers in the PCB-containing buildings had higher serum levels of lighter PCB congeners (PCB 6-74) than the referent populations. Examination of the patterns, as well as concentrations of individual PCB congeners in serum is essential to investigating the contributions from potential environmental sources of PCB exposure.
Climate change and the response of forests

Abstract The global climate has warmed by over 0·5°C during the last 125 years. Models of the Earth's temperature reponse to increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases estimate that the average global surface temperature will rise about 4°C by the mid twenty-first century. High latitudes will warm more than lower latitudes and winters more than summers. Forests will undergo enormous changes as temperatures increase and precipitation patterns shift. It is doubtful that forest movement will meet the rate of climate change. Many sensitive hardwood tree species, such as paper and yellow birch, sugar maple and black ash, may die. Boreal forests will replace tundra and mixed hardwood forests will replace them. Much of the change expected in the location and composition of forests may be detected by means of remote sensing.
Fermentation, Purification, and Characterization of Protective Antigen from a Recombinant, Avirulent Strain of Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent for anthrax, produces two bipartite, AB-type exotoxins, edema toxin and lethal toxin. The B subunit of both exotoxins is an Mr 83,000 protein termed protective antigen (PA). The human anthrax vaccine currently licensed for use in the United States consists primarily of this protein adsorbed onto aluminum oxyhydroxide. This report describes the production of PA from a recombinant, asporogenic, nontoxigenic, and nonencapsulated host strain of B. anthracis and the subsequent purification and characterization of the protein product. Fermentation in a high-tryptone, high-yeast-extract medium under nonlimiting aeration produced 20 to 30 mg of secreted PA per liter. Secreted protease activity under these fermentation conditions was low and was inhibited more than 95% by the addition of EDTA. A purity of 88 to 93% was achieved for PA by diafiltration and anion-exchange chromatography, while greater than 95% final purity was achieved with an additional hydrophobic interaction chromatography step. The purity of the PA product was characterized by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-capillary electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing, native gel electrophoresis, and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The biological activity of the PA, when combined with excess lethal factor in the macrophage cell lysis assay, was comparable to previously reported values.
Timing-driven placement for hierarchical programmable logic devices

In this paper we discuss new techniques for timing-driven placement and adaptive delay computation for hierarchical PLD architectures.Our algorithm follows the natural recursive k-way partitioning-based approach to placement on such devices. Our contributions include a specification of the overall TDC (timing-driven compilation) algorithm, an analysis of heuristics such as a variant of multi-start partitioning, a new method for adaptive delay computation, and a discussion of the structure of critical paths and sub-graphs on modern PLD designs.This algorithm has been implemented in a production quality commercial tool, and we report on the results with and without the implementation of the new techniques. The basic result is a substantial 38.5% average (36.3% median) improvement in register-to-register performance across a range of real designs in modern density ranges, at a cost of approximately 3.65X average (2.88X median) place-and-route CPU time. (These improvements and costs are relative to the same tool prior to the efforts described in this paper.) A partial implementation of the new algorithm shows approximately half the performance gain, with approximately half the compile time cost.
The unbearable distraction of color

Several surveys that compared the effectiveness of color and black and white as they are used in a variety of communication situations are discussed. The effects of color in printed documents and on-line text and on electronic publishers during the printing process and writers during the writing process are described. Suggestions for the effective use of color in technical communications are presented. >
APDV: making distance vector routing scale using adaptive publish-subscribe mechanisms

The Adaptive Publish-subscribe Distance Vector (APDV) protocol is introduced as an example of a new approach to allowing distance-vector routing to scale by integrating it with adaptive publish-subscribe mechanisms. APDV combines establishing routes to well-known controllers using distance-vector signaling with publish-subscribe mechanisms. The latter allow destinations to publish their presence with subsets of controllers, and sources to obtain routes to intended destinations from those same controllers. Controllers are selected dynamically using a fault-tolerant distributed election algorithm to ensure that each non-controller node is covered by at least a given number of controllers within a few hops. Extensive simulation experiments are used to compare APDV with AODV and OLSR, which are representative protocols for on-demand and proactive routing. The results show that APDV achieves significantly better data delivery, attains comparable delays for delivered packets, and incurs orders of magnitude less control overhead than AODV and OLSR, even under heavy data loads.
Sexual Citizenship: Articulating Citizenship, Identity, and the Pursuit of the Good Life in Urban Brazil

In this article, I examine a citizenship course held by a lesbian rights organization in Campinas, Brazil, and argue that claims for citizenship may go well beyond claims for civil rights and legal recognition and, instead, revolve around full, participatory inclusion in public life. I further argue that social actors who demand full citizenship may at the same time place demands on themselves to become what constitutes, in their view, “ideal citizens,” thereby neutralizing, at least in theory, the possibility of exclusion. In probing the understandings of the ideal lesbian citizen that surfaced during the course, including those that connect full citizenship with notions of the “good life,” I suggest both that these women are simultaneously capitulating to hegemonic cultural conceptions of propriety, and rewriting those conceptions by refusing the role of marginalized “other” in Brazilian society.[citizenship, identity, sexuality, activism, Brazil]
Genome mapping by nonrandom anchoring: a discrete theoretical analysis.

Abstract As part of our effort to construct a physical map of the genome of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we have made theoretical predictions for the progress expected, as measured by the expected length fraction of island coverage and by the expected properties of the anchored islands such as the number and the size of islands. Our experimental strategy is to construct a random clone library and screen the library for clones having unique sequence at both ends. This scheme is essentially the same as the clone-limited double sequence-tagged-site selection scheme which was used in a computer simulation by Palazzolo et al. [Palazzolo, M. J., Sawyer, S. A., Martin, C. H., Smoller, D. A. & Hartl, D. L. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 8034-8038]. Both simulation and ongoing experiments in our laboratory have shown that the nonrandom anchoring method is far superior to random anchoring. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model to explain the simulated data and the experimental data.
Incorporating value judgment in Technology Forecasting using Data Envelopment Analysis

Technology Forecasting using Data Envelopment Analysis (TFDEA) has been employed to a wide range of applications because of its ability to model complex tradeoffs. The very name indicates that it is based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) which has strength that it doesn't require fixed a priori weighting scheme. Instead, it adopts dynamic weighting scheme that each data point can choose their best possible weights. However, it is well known that this flexibility may result in extreme weights that may be considered unrealistic in certain applications and has been one subject of DEA researches. This paper extends the standard TFDEA model to incorporate value judgment in assessment to refine the analysis framework. The proposed model is applied to the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) industry to address impact of various weight restrictions on the technology forecast results.
Calcification and Decalcification During Epithallial Cell Turnover in Coralline Red Algae

Epithallial cells of the coralline red algae are characterized by unusual structural specialization, which include deep invaginations of the distal cell surface, and by unique development, which culminates in senescence, shedding, and replacement of the cells. Electron microscopic study of epithelial cell differentiation in morphologically and taxonomically disparate species suggests that the unusual features of epithelial cell structure and development stem from the fact that these dynamics occur within a calcified matrix. Distal wall ingrowths begin to form on the initial cells, cells whose cleavage eventually gives rise distally to new epithelial cells. After the distal wall ingrowths form, the overlying crosswall becomes rich in organic material. For this organic wall material to be deposited into the existing crosswall, the wall must first be decalcified; therefore, the presence of abundant organic material in the crosswall provides a marker of localized decalcification. We propose that the location and time of origin of distal wall ingrowths indicate a connection between the ingrowths and two coordinated processes: localized secretion of wall material, and decalcification of the overlying cell wall in preparation for the movement of the young epithelial cell into a new location relative to the surrounding calcified matrix. The large plasmalemmal surface area associated with the distal wall ingrowths allows for a greater abundance of membrane-associated components, such as proton pumps, that could drive localized cell wall decalcification.
Interaction of mammalian mitochondrial elongation factor EF-Tu with guanine nucleotides

Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) promotes the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) to the acceptor site of the ribosome. During the elongation cycle, EF-Tu interacts with guanine nucleotides, aa-tRNA and its nucleotide exchange factor (EF-Ts). Quantitative determination of the equilibrium dissociation constants that govern the interactions of mammalian mitochondrial EF-Tu (EF-Tu(mt)) with guanine nucleotides was the focus of the work reported here. Equilibrium dialysis with [3H]GDP was used to measure the equilibrium dissociation constant of the EF-Tu(mt) x GDP complex (K(GDP) = 1.0 +/- 0.1 microM). Competition of GTP with a fluorescent derivative of GDP (mantGDP) for binding to EF-Tu(mt) was used to measure the dissociation constant of the EF-Tu(mt) x GTP complex (K(GTP) = 18 +/- 9 microM). The analysis of these data required information on the dissociation constant of the EF-Tu(mt) x mantGDP complex (K(mGDP) = 2.0 +/- 0.5 microM), which was measured by equilibrium dialysis. Both K(GDP) and K(GTP) for EF-Tu(mt) are quite different (about two orders of magnitude higher) than the dissociation constants of the corresponding complexes formed by Escherichia coli EF-Tu. The forward and reverse rate constants for the association and dissociation of the EF-Tu(mt) x GDP complex were determined using the change in the fluorescence of mantGDP upon interaction with EF-Tu(mt). These values are in agreement with a simple equilibrium binding interaction between EF-Tu(mt) and GDP. The results obtained are discussed in terms of the recently described crystal structure of the EF-Tu(mt) x GDP complex.
Upper Arm Arteriovenous Fistula Versus Forearm Looped Arteriovenous Graft for Hemodialysis Access: A Comparative Analysis

If an autogenous wrist radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula cannot be created, the next choice for chronic hemodialysis access may be a prosthetic forearm looped arteriovenous graft (FAL-AVG) or a native upper arm arteriovenous fistula (UA-AVF). We reviewed our experience with these two forms of dialysis access to determine which is preferable. Patient medical records were retrospectively reviewed. The main outcomes were time to first use, complications, and reinterventions as well as primary and assisted primary patency. Eighty-six patients underwent creation of UA-AVF, and 60 patients underwent placement of FAL-AVG. Time to first use was 3.8 months for UA-AVFs vs. 1.8 months for FAL-AVGs (p < 0.018). Complication rates were 42% vs. 65% for UA-AVFs vs. FAL-AVGs, respectively (p = 0.006). Thrombosis was more common in FAL-AVGs than UA-AVFs (42% vs. 17%, p = 0.001), as was nonelective reintervention (50% vs. 30%, p = 0.016). Patency rates were similar at 1 and 2 years. Although UA-AVFs and FAL-AVGs share similar early patency rates, UA-AVFs may be a better choice for chronic hemodialysis access because of a lower incidence of complications and nonelective reinterventions. To maximize the benefits of UA-AVFs, however, early surgical referral is required.
How effective are affective activities? Relative benefits of two types of structured input activities as part of a computer-delivered lesson on the Spanish subjunctive

Proponents of Processing Instruction (VanPatten, 2005) claim that learners benefit most when presented with both referential and affective structured input activities. Following a classic pretest–p...
Retroperitoneal fibrosis as host responseto papillary renal cell carcinoma

Abstract A case of papillary renal cell carcinoma associated with retroperitonealfibrosis is described. This type of fibrosis has not been previously reported to be associated with renal cell carcinoma. The case is of additional interest in that it implicates an immune phenomenon in the pathogenesis of the fibrosis, involving both putative tumor antigens and antigens associated with tumor growth but unrelated to tumor cells.
Men, muscles, and mood: The relationship between self-concept, dysphoria, and body image disturbances

Abstract Beginning in the early 1990s investigations into the body image concerns of men have increased, and this study adds to extant research by examining correlates of more general body dissatisfaction (BD) and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia (MD) in particular. Three hundred four undergraduate men completed a broad-based symptom inventory, a self-concept questionnaire, and an instrument that assessed problematic body image, eating, and exercise patterns as well as specific symptoms of MD. Multiple regression analyses suggest that lower ratings of overall self-concept and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity are predictive of body image concerns in men. Furthermore, these variables accounted for almost twice the variance in general BD than they did for specific symptoms of MD. In addition, anorexic and bulimic behaviors, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and risk factors for interpersonal problems were also associated with symptoms of MD, even when BD was controlled.
Pharmacokinetics of zidovudine in infants: A population analysis across studies

Background Although the use of zidovudine in newborns and infants has become standard therapy for prophylaxis and therapy of human immunodeficiency virus infection, the developmental pharmacology of zidovudine in the first months of life has not been fully described. Methods We used population analysis to estimate zidovudine pharmacokinetic parameters in newborns and infants who either participated in one of five Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) protocols or were premature infants who had zidovudine concentrations drawn for therapeutic drug monitoring. The data set consisted of 698 serum samples from 83 infants with a mean gestational age at birth of 37.5 weeks (range, 26.0 to 41.5 weeks), mean postnatal age at sampling of 19.3 days (range, 0 to 144 days), and a mean weight at sampling of 3.1 kg (range, 0.71 to 6.0 kg). With use of the program NONMEM and a two-compartment open model, the influences of demographic and clinical factors on the elimination rate constant (k10), volume of distribution of the central compartment (Vc) and bioavailability (F1) were examined. Results Zidovudine elimination was slow immediately after birth but increased rapidly in term infants during the first weeks of life, reaching a plateau by 4 to 8 weeks of age. In premature infants, zidovudine elimination increased at a much slower rate than in the term infants. Gender, race, and exposure to didanosine or nevirapine had no impact on zidovudine elimination. Bioavailability was increased in infants less than 14 days old. Conclusions Zidovudine elimination kinetics undergo large increases during the first months of life, and the pattern of maturation is different in term and preterm infants. Higher bioavailability in younger infants is consistent with decreased first-pass metabolism associated with reduced clearance. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1999) 66, 16–24;
Perspective: Encourage the innovators

Rather than emphasize risks that are not entirely new, talks about germline editing should focus more on the benefits, argues George Church.
The self-management experience of patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A qualitative study.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to explore views related to the self-management of type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.MethodsWe conducted three semi-structured focus groups in parti...
Breeding of Three-line Hybrid Rice Jinyou 785

Jinyou 785,a new three-line hybrid rice combination was developed from the cross between male sterile line Jin 23 A and restoring line Qianhui 785.Qianhui 785 was bred by the way of cross and multiple-cross with good characters.The results showed that the average yield of Jinyou 785 was 9.62 t/hm2,9.27% higher than that of CK in multiple-location regional experiment test during 2008-2009,and the average yield was 8.85 t/hm2,5.27% higher than that of CK in one-year productive experiment test in Guizhou province,and the highest yield was up to 13.74 t/hm2 in high-yielding cultural experiment in Guiyang region.The resistance to rice blast,rice physicochemical indexes and tastes of Jinyou 785 were all better than CK.The new combination is suitable for the region of single cropping of rice in Guizhou province.It was registered as a commercial variety in 2010 in Guizhou province.
School-Based Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Management Program.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions, can result in a constellation of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that affect students’ well-being and performance at school. Despite these effects, school personnel remain underprepared identify, educate, and assist this population of students. This article describes a model of service delivery for students with TBI in a large urban school district. The district's TBI Program and Concussion Management Team address unique issues related to assessment, intervention, and transition planning for this population of students, as well as prevention and education efforts in the district as a whole. This model involved designating a district-level school psychologist to serve as a point person for TBI cases, which improved accurate identification of students with TBI, facilitated coordination of concussion management efforts, and provided a smooth transition for students with TBI from the hospital or clinic back to school. Suggestions for increasing school psychologists’ involvement with TBI cases are proposed, including strategies for serving as team leaders, for coordinating progress monitoring, and for training others in the school community about TBIs.
Amplitude Distributions of Cochlear Microphonic Response to an Acoustic Sinusoid in Noise

The distributions of instantaneous voltage amplitudes in the cochlear microphonic response recorded from a small segment along the basilar membrane are described by computing amplitude histograms. ...
Ultrasound guided FNA of thyroid performed by cytopathologists enhances Bethesda diagnostic value.

Background Ultrasound (US) guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of thyroid are examined and reported by cytopathologists based usually on The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BTC) regardless of the procedure's performers. This study is designed to determine whether there is any performer-dependent difference. Methods Six hundred and fifty-one thyroid US-FNAs in correlation with surgical follow-up (SFU) were studied. The statistical analysis was performed using the surgical pathology diagnosis as the gold standard. Results Among the 283 cases performed by cytopathologists, there were 8 (2.8%) nondiagnostic (BTC I), 197 (69.6%) benign (BTC II), 31 (11%) atypical (BTC III), 14 (5%) suspicious for follicular neoplasm (BTC IV), 12 (4.2%) suspicious for malignancy (BTC V), and 21 (7.4%) positive for malignancy (BTC VI), and there were 55 (19.4%) cases with SFU. The 368 cases performed by others showed 76 (21%) BTC I, 238 (65%) BTC II, 26 (7%) BTC III, 10 (3%) BTC IV, 9 (2.5%) BTC V 5, and 9 (2.5%) BTC VI, and there were 26 (7%) cases with SFU. The cytopathologist group achieved better sensitivity (91.3 vs.78%); slightly better specificity (83.3 vs. 82%); better positive predictive value (87.5 vs. 70%); similar negative predictive value (88.2 vs. 88%); and better overall accuracy (87.8 vs. 81%) compared with the non-cytopathologist group. Overall the difference for all statistical values is significant different (P = 0.041). Conclusion US-FNA performed by cytopathologists showed a lower unsatisfactory rate and significantly better overall statistical values. Cytopathologists may play an important role in thyroid patient care. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:787–791. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ritual Retellings: Luangan Healing Performances Through Practice, by Isabell Herrmans

The author of this study of healing rituals among Luangans, an indigenous population of Central and East Kalimantan, Indonesia, makes a compelling case for why anthropologists should take into acco...
Dexpert: The Application of AI to Design of Experiments

Abstract DEXPERT is a knowledge-based system that automates both the design of experiments and the analysis of experimental results. DEXPERT takes a math modelbased approach and generates designs to meet the user's requirements. This approach was implemented using the Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques of model-based reasoning, object-oriented frame representation, hypothetical reasoning, role-based reasoning, and automated state-space search. DEXPERT is currently in production and being used by engineers, scientists, and statisticians within General Motors to design hundreds of experiments annually. This paper describes DEXPERT and some specific AI techniques that contributed to the development and ultimate success of DEXPERT.
Reprint of “Correlation/prediction of sorption, swelling, and cloud points in CO2 + polymer systems”

Abstract We have previously presented an associated lattice fluid equation of state (ALF EOS) and shown that the equation is able to predict the solubility of CO2 in polymers and, simultaneously, the extent of swelling of the polymer due to CO2 using a single parameter obtained from one solubility isotherm. In the present study, we show that cloud point curves in CO2 + polymer systems (at higher pressures) may also be predicted using the same value of the parameter. In addition, we show that the single parameter does not depend on temperature, pressure, or polymer molecular weight.
Impact of Antithrombotic Regimen on Mortality, Ischemic, and Bleeding Outcomes after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Optimal antithrombotic therapy after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains unclear. We evaluated the association between antithrombotic regimens and outcomes in TAVR patients. We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients who underwent TAVR at a single academic center from April 2009 to March 2014. Antithrombotic regimens were classified as single or dual antiplatelet therapy (AP), single antiplatelet plus anticoagulant (SAC), or triple therapy (TT). The primary endpoint was a composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and major bleeding. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were obtained with best subset variable selection methods using bootstrap resampling. Of 246 patients who underwent TAVR, 241 were eligible for analysis with 133, 88, and 20 patients in the AP, SAC, and TT groups, respectively. During a median 2.1-year follow-up, 53.5% had at least one endpoint—the most common was death (68%), followed by major bleeding (23%), stroke (6%), and MI (3%). At 2 years, the composite outcome occurred in 70% of TT, 42% of SAC, and 31% of AP patients. Compared to AP, adjusted HRs for the composite outcome were 2.88 [95% Confidence intervals (CI) (1.61–5.16); p = 0.0004] and 1.66 (95% CI [1.13-2.42]; p = 0.009) in the TT and SAC groups, respectively. Mortality rates at 2 years were 61% in the TT, 32% in the SAC, and 26% in the AP groups (p = 0.005). The risk of the composite outcome of death, MI, stroke, or major bleeding at 2-year follow-up was significantly higher in TAVR patients treated with TT or SAC versus AP, even after multivariate adjustment.
Quantitative background parenchymal uptake on molecular breast imaging and breast cancer risk: a case-control study

Background parenchymal uptake (BPU), which refers to the level of Tc-99m sestamibi uptake within normal fibroglandular tissue on molecular breast imaging (MBI), has been identified as a breast cancer risk factor, independent of mammographic density. Prior analyses have used subjective categories to describe BPU. We evaluate a new quantitative method for assessing BPU by testing its reproducibility, comparing quantitative results with previously established subjective BPU categories, and determining the association of quantitative BPU with breast cancer risk. Two nonradiologist operators independently performed region-of-interest analysis on MBI images viewed in conjunction with corresponding digital mammograms. Quantitative BPU was defined as a unitless ratio of the average pixel intensity (counts/pixel) within the fibroglandular tissue versus the average pixel intensity in fat. Operator agreement and the correlation of quantitative BPU measures with subjective BPU categories assessed by expert radiologists were determined. Percent density on mammograms was estimated using Cumulus. The association of quantitative BPU with breast cancer (per one unit BPU) was examined within an established case-control study of 62 incident breast cancer cases and 177 matched controls. Quantitative BPU ranged from 0.4 to 3.2 across all subjects and was on average higher in cases compared to controls (1.4 versus 1.2, p < 0.007 for both operators). Quantitative BPU was strongly correlated with subjective BPU categories (Spearman’s r = 0.59 to 0.69, p < 0.0001, for each paired combination of two operators and two radiologists). Interoperator and intraoperator agreement in the quantitative BPU measure, assessed by intraclass correlation, was 0.92 and 0.98, respectively. Quantitative BPU measures showed either no correlation or weak negative correlation with mammographic percent density. In a model adjusted for body mass index and percent density, higher quantitative BPU was associated with increased risk of breast cancer for both operators (OR = 4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–10.1, and 2.4, 95% CI 1.2–4.7). Quantitative measurement of BPU, defined as the ratio of average counts in fibroglandular tissue relative to that in fat, can be reliably performed by nonradiologist operators with a simple region-of-interest analysis tool. Similar to results obtained with subjective BPU categories, quantitative BPU is a functional imaging biomarker of breast cancer risk, independent of mammographic density and hormonal factors.
The Real-Time IRB: A Collaborative Innovation to Decrease IRB Review Time:

Lengthy review times for institutional review boards (IRBs) are a well-known barrier to research. In response to numerous calls to reduce review times, we devised "Real-Time IRB," a process that drastically reduces IRB review time. In this, investigators and study staff attend the IRB meeting and make changes to the protocol while the IRB continues its meeting, so that final approval can be issued at the meeting. This achieved an overall reduction in time from submission to the IRB to final approval of 40%. While this process is time and resource intensive, and cannot address all delays in research, it shows great promise for increasing the pace by which research is translated to patient care.
Corrections to “Al 0.8 In 0.2 As 0.23 Sb 0.77 Avalanche Photodiodes”

In the above letter [1] , the first author’s name was printed incorrectly. The correct name is Ann Katheryn Rockwell.
Neuraxial anaesthesia and anticoagulation

Neurological complications associated with spinal or epidural anaesthesia can be due to toxic effects of the injected agent, incorrect placement of a needle or catheter causing direct neural tissue damage, infectious agents or spinal cord compromise due in turn to ischaemia or mass effect. Adverse events related to the surgical procedure, positioning or a patient’s underlying medical condition can also present as “complications” of regional anaesthesia. Anticipation and prevention of complications, along with their early diagnosis and treatment, are the most important factors in dealing with regional anaesthetic risks. Several large studies have confirmed the rarity of permanent neurological injury associated with this type of anaesthesia [1, 2].