cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aflibercept ophthalmic solution: drug development and clinical uses

The recent adoption of drugs that inhibit the actions of VEGF has dramatically changed ophthalmology. The intravitreal injection of potent anti-VEGF medications, particularly bevacizumab and ranibizumab, has become standard-of-care for the treatment of the most common blinding diseases – exudative age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. The introduction of aflibercept, a high binding affinity fusion protein, gives physicians another valuable tool for the treatment of these conditions. The VIEW 1 and 2 trials showed that monthly and bimonthly aflibercept was equivalent to monthly ranibizumab for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, and the COPERNICUS and GALILEO trials showed that aflibercept was far superior to sham injections for the treatment of macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusions. Ongoing trials are investigating the efficacy of aflibercept for the treatment of edema due to diabetic retinopathy, branch retinal vein occlusions and myopic choroidal neov...
XYLEM WATER HOLDING CAPACITY AS A SOURCE OF ERROR IN WATER POTENTIAL ESTIMATES MADE WITH THE PRESSURE CHAMBER AND THERMOCOUPLE PSYCHROMETER

The pressure chamber and the thermocouple psychrometer often provide different values when used to estimate plant water potential. One hypothesis to explain the discrepancy between instruments is that water movement between the xylem and symplast occurs during pressurization in the pressure chamber. Pressure chamber and thermocouple psychrometer measurements of Pinus ponderosa (Laws.) seedling shoots and mature Quercus agrifolia (Nee) shoots showed that the discrepancy is greater for Quercus. It was hypothesized that the xylem water content-water potential relationship of these species would explain the magnitude of the discrepancy between instruments. The xylem water holding capacity alone, however, does not explain the difference between species. The larger discrepancy in Quercus is likely due to a greater volume of water held in the xylem relative to the volume held in the symplast. WATER POTENTIAL ESTIMATES made with the pressure chamber often do not correspond to those for the same tissue made with a thermocouple psychrometer (Ritchie and Hinckley, 1975). The graphical representation of the relationship between readings taken with the two instruments, however, follows a consistent pattern for most species. At high water potentials the psychrometer gives a more negative water potential estimate than the pressure chamber and at low water potentials the pressure chamber gives a more negative water potential estimate than the psychrometer (Ritchie and Hinckley, 1975). The pattern of the dis
Adsorption of Low-Molecular-Weight Organic Compounds by Stable Anhydrous α-Lactose

Abstract The capacity of stable anhydrous α -lactose to adsorb three homologous series of normal aliphatic low-molecular-weight alcohols, methyl esters, and methyl ketones was investigated. This form of lactose proved to have a high capacity for adsorbing volatile compounds. The amount adsorbed varied greatly but was related linearly with the increase in carbon number within a homologous series. The amount of the three different series adsorbed by stable anhydrous α -lactose is in the decreasing order of alcohols, methyl esters, and methyl ketones. The rate of adsorption also was studied.
Model-based multisource fusion for exploitation, classification, and recognition

A model-based multi-sensor fusion framework has previously been developed that supports improved target recognition by fusing target signature information obtained from sensor imagery [1], [2]. Image- based signature features, however, are not the only source of information that may be exploited to advantage by a target recognition system. This paper presents a review of the key features of the model-based fusion framework and shows how it can be expanded to support information derived from imaging sensors as well as data from other non-imaging sources. The expanded model-based multi-source framework supports not only the combination of image data, such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and electro-optical (EO), but also various types of non-image data that may be derived from those, or other sensor measurements. The paper illustrates the flexibility of the model-based framework by describing the combination of spatial information from an imaging sensor with scattering characteristics derived from polarimetric phase history data. The multi-source fusion is achieved by relating signature features to specific structural elements on the 3-D target geometry. The 3-D model is used as a sensor neutral, view independent, common reference for the combination of multi-source information.
Decreased nuclear encoded subunits of cytochrome c oxidase and increased copper, zinc–superoxide dismutase activity are found in cardiomyopathic human hearts

Mineral concentrations, copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase and cytochrome c oxidase subunits in human cardiomyopathic heart explants were compared with noncardiomyopathic hearts from autopsy subjects. Iron was reduced in cardiomyopathic hearts, but the zinc:iron ratio was higher in cardiomyopathic hearts. Copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase activity was increased in cardiomyopathic human hearts compared to the noncardiomyopathic hearts. In a subsample of specimens analyzed, the nuclear encoded subunits of cytochrome c oxidase were diminished in the cardiomyopathic hearts. The decreases have been observed in rodents fed copper-deficient diets. However, in this study heart copper levels did not differ by disease status.
A note on the values of the vertical gradient of the magnetic field in the return flux sunspot model

The Return Flux (RF) sunspot model (Osherovich, 1982) imposes a restriction on the value of the vertical gradient of the magnetic field, dB/dz, analogous to a restriction implied by the self-similar sunspot model of Schluter and Temesvary (ST). The maximum value of the gradient, (dB/dz)max, is shown to be 10% smaller in the RF model than in the ST model. The dependence of (dB/dz)max on the sunspot radius is predicted.
QUALITATIVE IMMUNOGLOBULIN (Ig) DEFICIENCY, RECURRENT INFECTIONS, AND INTACT CELLULAR IMMUNITY

A 10 year old female has had repeated episodes of bacterial infections including pneumonia, otitis, adenitis, and urinary tract infections. She is short, has lymphadenopathy and a protuberant abdomen. IgG=1500 mg%, IgM=430 mg%, IgA= 68 mg%, IgD 18.5 mg% and IgE=l4 IU/ml. Ig Subclasses, inmunoelectrophoresis and complement component activity are normal. After isolating Group A streptococci from the throat and an excised node, ASO and other streptococcal antibody titers were low or undetectable. The excised lymph node showed reactive hyperplasia. Lymphocyte counts were normal. Blood is Group O and isoagglutinin titers (A and B) were absent. Responses to diphtheria, typhoid and hexavalent pneumococcal vaccine were minimal or absent. Normal numbers of B lymphocytes were determined by membrane immunofluorescence and rosettes. Spontaneous rosette formation with sheep erythrocytes was normal. In vivo delayed hypersensitivity was normal. Normal lymphocyte responses to mitogens and allogeneic cells occurred. Neutrophil (PMN) chemotaxis, mobility, phagocytosis and bactericidal activity were normal. A serum related defect in PMN opsonic and cidal activity with strep and E. coli was reversed with normal serum. The patient appears to represent a profound abnormality of antibody formation associated with recurrent infections.
Generation Y, Shifting Funding Structures, and Health Care Reform: Reconceiving the Public Health Paradigm through Social Work

Public health agencies are facing a convergence of forces that require a reexamination of the existing paradigm. The need to replace an aging workforce with a new generation that possesses a different worldview, in the context of budget austerity, will be challenging. In addition, the uncertainty of health care reform poses a challenge for public health leadership. This “perfect storm” provides the opportunity for the social work paradigm to come in and fill the void.
Cluster expansion modeling and Monte Carlo simulation of alnico 5–7 permanent magnets

The concerns about the supply and resource of rare earth (RE) metals have generated a lot of interests in searching for high performance RE-free permanent magnets. Alnico alloys are traditional non-RE permanent magnets and have received much attention recently due their good performance at high temperature. In this paper, we develop an accurate and efficient cluster expansion energy model for alnico 5–7. Monte Carlo simulations using the cluster expansion method are performed to investigate the structure of alnico 5–7 at atomistic and nano scales. The alnico 5–7 master alloy is found to decompose into FeCo-rich and NiAl-rich phases at low temperature. The boundary between these two phases is quite sharp (∼2 nm) for a wide range of temperature. The compositions of the main constituents in these two phases become higher when the temperature gets lower. Both FeCo-rich and NiAl-rich phases are in B2 ordering with Fe and Al on α-site and Ni and Co on β-site. The degree of order of the NiAl-rich phase is much higher than that of the FeCo-rich phase. A small magnetic moment is also observed in NiAl-rich phase but the moment reduces as the temperature is lowered, implying that the magnetic properties of alnico 5–7 could be improved by lowering annealing temperature to diminish the magnetism in NiAl-rich phase. The results from our Monte Carlo simulations are consistent with available experimental results.
Intensive Care of the Intra-Abdominal Organ Transplant Recipient

The postoperative care of a patient who receives an intra-abdominal organ transplant is in some ways simi lar to that of any major intra-abdominal procedure. However, certain features unique to organ transplanta tion, such as the variable functional status of the newly transplanted graft, complications that are specific to the organ transplanted, and the side effects from immuno suppressive drugs, suggest that transplantation inten sive care is a distinct subspecialty in critical care medicine. Today, the majority of patients receiving an intra-abdominal transplant will have a relatively uncom plicated postoperative course. However, preoperative disposition, intraoperative misadventure, or immediate postoperative difficulty will require the availability of an intensivist experienced in transplantation. The future of intra-abdominal transplantation will be highly depen dent on progress in immunotherapy. Newer, more spe cific immunomodulators with fewer nonimmune toxici ties should result in improved organ ...
Drug dependency in patients with chronic headaches.

SYNOPSIS New patients seen during eleven months were questioned about intake of narcotics or common analgesics with barbiturates prescribed for the treatment of headache. Out of 2,369 new patients, 62 received both medications frequently for at least six months. Thirty-eight patients were taking a combination of common analgesics and butalbital for 0.5 to 40 years. Eight were dependent; six physically addicted, two psychologically dependent and two were abusers. Seventeen patients were taking codeine and six, propoxyphene for 0.5 to 35 years. No addictions occurred, but there were two codeine and one propoxyphere abuser. There is danger of dependency and abuse in patients with chronic headaches.
Corrosion Rate Estimation from Pseudo-Inductive Electrochemical Impedance Response

Abstract Frequency responses exhibiting pseudo-inductive characteristics have been observed when using the electrochemical impedance technique. Controversy exists in interpreting and modeling such ...
RECQL5 plays co-operative and complementary roles with WRN syndrome helicase

Humans have five RecQ helicases, whereas simpler organisms have only one. Little is known about whether and how these RecQ helicases co-operate and/or complement each other in response to cellular stress. Here we show that RECQL5 associates longer at laser-induced DNA double-strand breaks in the absence of Werner syndrome (WRN) protein, and that it interacts physically and functionally with WRN both in vivo and in vitro. RECQL5 co-operates with WRN on synthetic stalled replication fork-like structures and stimulates its helicase activity on DNA fork duplexes. Both RECQL5 and WRN re-localize from the nucleolus into the nucleus after replicative stress and significantly associate with each other during S-phase. Further, we show that RECQL5 is essential for cell survival in the absence of WRN. Loss of both RECQL5 and WRN severely compromises DNA replication, accumulates genomic instability and ultimately leads to cell death. Collectively, our results indicate that RECQL5 plays both co-operative and complementary roles with WRN. This is an early demonstration of a significant functional interplay and a novel synthetic lethal interaction among the human RecQ helicases.
Is there RFI in pulsed optical SETI

In the 40 year history of SETI, radio frequency interference (RFI) has proven to be the dominant background in microwave searches. As the SETI community broadens its electromagnetic scope and searches for optical beacons, it must characterize and identify backgrounds for pulsed optical SETI. We must ask the question: What is the ``RFI'' for pulsed optical SETI? This paper seeks to answer the question by examining the astrophysical, atmospheric, terrestrial, and instrumental sources of optical pulses of nanosecond timescale. Potential astrophysical/atmospheric sources include airglow and scattered zodiacal light, stellar photon pileup, muon events, and cosmic-ray induced Cerenkov flashes. Terrestrial sources, including lightning and laser communications, appear negligible. Instrumental backgrounds such as scintillation in detector optics and corona breakdown have been the dominant background in our experiments to date, and present significant design challenges for future optical SETI researchers.
The photosensitivity of a mutant circadian clock

Konopka and Benzer (1971) produced a mutantDrosophila in which the circadian clock period is shortened by 20% and in which the maximum phase shift obtained from a saturating exposure of light is much increased. We examined the phase responses to lower energy exposures and found that in almost every aspect examined they are remarkably similar to those found inD. pseudoobscura, the only other fly examined in detail. In particular, theD. melanogaster mutant, unlike the wildtype, can be given an exposure of light of a critical energy at a critical phase which results in nearly complete loss of rhythmicity.
Errors of kinematic-wave and diffusion-wave approximations for time-independent flows

Time-independent (or steady-state) cases of planar (overland) flow were treated. Errors of the kinematic-wave and diffusion-wave approximations were derived for three types of boundary conditions: zero flow at the upstream end, and critical flow depth and zero depth-gradient at the downstream end. The diffusion wave approximation was found to be in excellent agreement with the dynamic wave approximation, with error in the range of 1–2% for values ofKF 0 2 (≥7.5). Even for small values ofKF 2 0 (e.g.,KF 2 0 =0.75), the errors were typically in the range of 11–15%. The accuracy of the diffusion wave approximation was greatly influenced by the downstream boundary condition. The error of the kinematic wave approximation was found to vary from 7 to 13% in the regions 0.05≤x≤0.95 forKF 0 2 =0.75 and was greater than 30% forKF 0 2 =0.75.
Comparing the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of depression : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the longest standing psychiatric treatment available and has unequivocal benefit in severe depression. However this treatment comes with a number of side effects such as memory impairment. On the other hand, Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a relatively new form of treatment which has been shown to be efficacious in patients suffering from a number of psychopathologies, including severe depression, with few reported side effects. Due to its potential therapeutic efficacy and lack of side effects, rTMS has gained traction in the treatment of depression, with a number of authors keen to see it take over from ECT. However, it is not clear whether rTMS represents a therapeutic alternative to ECT. This meta-analysis will therefore compare the “gold standard” treatment for severe depression, with the relatively new but promising rTMS. A literature search will be performed with the intention to include all randomised clinical trials. The null hypothesis is that there is no difference in the antidepressant efficacy between the two types of treatment modalities. Statistical analysis of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores will be performed.
Detecting and estimating biochemical dispersion of a moving source in a semi-infinite medium

Statistical methods for detecting and estimating biochemical dispersion by a moving source using model-based integrated sensor array processing are developed. Two possible cases are considered: a homogeneous semi-infinite medium (corresponding to the environment such as air above the ground for an airborne source) or a two-layer semi-infinite medium (e.g., shallow water). The proposed methods can be extended to more complex scenarios. The goals are to detect and localize the biochemical source, determine the space-time concentration distribution of the dispersion, and predict its cloud evolution. Potential applications include security, environmental monitoring, pollution control, simulating hazardous accidents, and explosives detection. Diffusion models of the biochemical substance concentration distribution are derived under various boundary and environmental conditions. A maximum-likelihood algorithm is used to estimate the biochemical concentration distribution in space and time, and the Cramer-Rao bound is computed to analyze its performance. Two detectors (generalized-likelihood ratio test (GLRT) and a mean-difference detector) are derived and then their performances are determined in terms of the probabilities of detection and false alarm. The results can be used to design the sensor array for optimal performance. Numerical examples illustrate the results of the concentration distribution and the performances of the proposed methods.
A 2 GHz CMOS even harmonic mixer for direct conversion receivers

An even harmonic mixer implemented in a 0.25 /spl mu/m standard digital CMOS process for applications in 2 GHz direct conversion receivers is described. The novel mixer circuit overcomes the classical DC offset problems that degrade the sensitivity performance of direct conversion receivers using conventional mixers. Simulated with a 1% g/sub m/ mismatch, the new even harmonic mixer achieves excellent DC offset cancellation and IIP2 values of 87 dB and +40 dBm, respectively. The mixer draws 1.71 mA from a single 3 V power supply.
Extracting Product Information from Email Receipts Using Markov Logic

Email receipts (e-receipts) frequently record e-commerce transactions between users and online retailers, and contain a wealth of product information. Such information could be used in a variety of applications if it could be reliably extracted. However, extracting product information from ereceipts poses several challenges. For example, the high labor cost of annotating e-receipts makes traditional supervised approaches infeasible. E-receipts may also be generated from a variety of templates, and are usually encoded in plain text rather than HTML, making it difficult to discover the regularity of how product information is presented. In this paper, we present an approach that addresses all these challenges. Our approach is based on Markov logic [22], a language that combines probability and logic. From a corpus of unlabeled e-receipts, we identify all possible templates by jointly clustering the e-receipts and the lines in them. From the non-template portions of e-receipts, we learn patterns describing how product information is laid out, and use them to extract the product information. Experiments on a corpus of real-world e-receipts demonstrate that our approach performs well. Furthermore, the extracted information can be reliably used as labeled data to bootstrap a supervised statistical model, and our experiments show that such a model is able to extract even more product information.
Luxury or Public Investment? Productivity and Planning for Weimar Recovery

The late Detlev Peukert noted that historians of the Weimar Republic have tended to devote their attention to the republic's first and last years. They have much to say about the Weimar Republic up to the end of the inflation in 1923 and 1924. However, they tend to jump from Weimar's troubled early years to its catastrophic disintegration between 1929 and 1933. Skirting the middle years, historians have generally overlooked the problem of recovery in Germany during the 1920s. In doing so, they have ignored a topic of central concern to Germans during the twenties.
Demography of fluctuating populations: temporal and phase-related changes in vital rates of Microtus ochrogaster

1. Small mammal population fluctuations, cyclic or not, have been an ecological puzzle and a source of heated debate among ecologists. Identifying the demographic parameters that covary closely with density changes can help elucidate the underlying causes of population fluctuations, but few studies have reported rigorous estimates of these parameters. 2. We applied capture-mark-recapture analysis to twice-weekly trapping data from a long-term study of a fluctuating Microtus ochrogaster (prairie vole) population in Illinois, USA to estimate stage-specific apparent survival and maturation rates. We also estimated population density, fecundity rate, age at maturity and life span on a weekly basis. 3. Survival, maturation and fecundity rates exhibited phase-related changes during major density fluctuations, but they showed density-independent temporal variations during the prolonged low-density phases. Among these variables, maturation and juvenile survival rates covaried most closely with population density. 4. These results suggest that phase-related changes in maturation and juvenile survival rates are likely to be the main demographic factors driving the dynamics of our study population. 5. Phase-related changes in maturation rates provide a plausible demographic explanation of density fluctuations in our study population. Our results suggest that direct predation may not be necessary for large-scale fluctuations in M. ochrogaster abundance.
Imaging technological structures for organisation of biological consciousness and aesthetic experience

Art situates consciousness. More importantly virtual art actively situates human consciousness while simultaneously illustrating the self as agent provocateur of consciousness. The syncretism between biological self and technological world is deeply rooted in the consciousness of arts as they provide the dynamic for wetware upgrades supplied in the form of digital projections, virtual environments and high-end virtual reality display systems. Virtual art extends the private research laboratory of social awareness and intimate interaction by resituating the personal in experiential time-based modes of aesthetic experience. This paper examines a phenomenon whereby the actions in virtual systems that are driven by both sequential image construction and human-computer intervention simultaneously activates the organisation of the stream of consciousness experience.
Interactional problems in research interviews

This article examines how speakers orient to interactional problems in research interviews. These are marked by disfluencies in talk, with interviewees asking questions of the interviewer, declinin...
TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF ACADEMIC AND NONACADEMIC TASKS PROCRASTINATED BY STUDENTS: THE USE OF DAILY LOGS

For five consecutive days, at either the beginning or the end of a term, college students (30 women, 7 men) listed daily academic and nonacademic tasks they intended to complete and whether they actually completed them. Students reported nonacademic tasks (e.g., household chores, making telephone calls, exercising, and playing sports) as completed most often regardless of the time within the term. Results from 2 (early vs. later sessions) by 2 (completed vs. not completed tasks) by 2 (academic vs. nonacademic tasks) ANOVAs found that procrastinated tasks early in the term were more effortful and anxiety provoking than any other task during the term. Procrastinated academic tasks (e.g., homework, reading assignments, studying) in the early part of a term were rated as unpleasurable, while students reported later in the term that pleasantness of the task did not affect whether it was procrastinated or completed. These results imply that academic and nonacademic tasks should be challenging, yet fun, to heighten the likelihood that they are completed by students. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Quality of French Fried Potatoes as Affected by Surface Freezing and Specific Gravity of Raw Potatoes

Russett Burbank potatoes were stored at 7.2°C for 9 months and processed into French fries. Some of the potato strips were subjected to partial freezing at – 20°C for 25 min before water blanching for surface leaching. The samples treated by partial (surface) freezing generally absorbed more oil during par-flying but less oil during finish-frying compared to the untreated samples (control). French fries made from partially frozen potato strips contained less reducing sugar and ascorbic acid and were lighter in color than the control. Darker fries were produced from potatoes of lower specific gravity because of the higher reducing sugar content. The surface freezing treatment was an effective means of decreasing oil absorption and improving color of French fries.
DEMONS IN HINDUTVA: WRITING A THEOLOGY FOR HINDU NATIONALISM

This article explores the vast body of English language works on Hinduism published since 1981 by Voice of India—an influential right-wing Hindu publishing house headquartered in New Delhi, but contributed to by Indians at “home” and in diasporic communities, as well as Europeans and North Americans. Focus on the construction of the Hindu “Self” and the non-Hindu “Other” shows the manner in which European thought, primarily represented by the contributions of colonial-era British and German indologists, but bolstered by evangelicals, Utilitarians and Arabo-Islamicists from the same era, has become an important feature of postcolonial forms of Hinduism. In particular, the influence of fin de siecle German indologist Paul Deussen, mediated by such colonial-era Hindu thinkers as Swami Dayananda, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo Ghose and Mahatma Gandhi, not only defines Voice of India's theology, but leads to the construction of a Hindu Self that is the personification of “Aryan godliness” and a non-Hindu Other that is essentialized as a “Semitic Demon.” Although closely associated with and often serving the political initiatives of the Sangh Parivar, the authors of this theology have been kept at arm's length by the organization for reasons of political expediency. Both the growing network of contributors to and consumers of this view, and its periodic use by the Sangh Parivar, insure that it represents a significant development in the ideology of Hindutva.
Soft Tissue Muscle Flaps for Coverage of Chest Wall Resections

Chest wall resection is indicated most often for primary chest wall tumors but may also be required for solitary metastases, infection, or for resection of devitalized tissue following radiation. Whether the chest wall defect is reconstructed with prosthetic material or not depends on its size and location. Resections >25 cm2 or resection of four or more ribs generally require some sort of rigid or flexible or prosthetic material in order to preserve chest wall mechanics. In most instances, it is ideal to cover any prosthetic material with healthy, well-vascularized tissue, which mitigates severe consequences if wound separation, breakdown, or infection were to occur. There are a variety of pedicled muscle flaps that can be rotated to cover most chest wall defects, of which the most commonly used are the pectoralis major and the latissimus dorsi. Both are easily harvested by general thoracic surgeons. Lesser used muscle flaps such as the rectus abdominis, external oblique and trapezius or flaps that require free tissue transfer usually require the expertise of a reconstructive surgeon. Thus, it is ideal to manage larger chest wall reconstructions in a multidisciplinary approach. Though frequently used for intrathoracic translocation, the omentum is less utilized for chest wall coverage, however, it can be a useful second option in cases where rotational muscle flaps are not available or have failed. This review will describe the flaps commonly used for chest wall reconstruction.
The Inner Phase of Molecular Container Compounds as a Novel Reaction Environment

The conceptual idea of molecular container compoundsand their synthesis has opened an entirely new andvery interesting research field: the chemistry of andwithin molecular container compounds and theircomplexes. Molecular containers have inner phases justlarge enough to accommodate a single guest molecule.Beginning with Donald J. Cram's first synthesis of acarcerand, which permanently entrapped a single guestmolecule, many other containers such ashemicarcerands, molecular lantern, self-assembledcapsules and fullerenes have been synthesized andstudied. Not only is the design and development of newcontainer compounds an ongoing challenge for organicchemists, but also the systematic investigation ofchemical reactions within their inner phases. Theresults of a large variety of inner phase reactionsspanning acid-base, reduction, oxidation, nucleophilicsubstitution, addition, thermal, photochemical andpericyclic reactions have provided us with moreinsight into the relationship between bulk phase andinner phase reactants and the mechanism of thetransfer of electrons and photons through theinsulating shell of a container molecule. They havealso led to very spectacular applications of molecularcontainer compounds such as the stabilization ofreactive intermediates by incarceration. Thesehighlights of inner phase chemistry and the currentefforts and successes towards using molecularcontainers as catalytic reaction vessels are presentedand discussed.
Religion and mental health: what should psychiatrists do?

Religious beliefs and practices of patients have long been thought to have a pathological basis and psychiatrists for over a century have understood them in this light. Recent research, however, has uncovered findings which suggest that to some patients religion may also be a resource that helps
Mechanical and Electrical Control of Charged Domain Walls in Ferroelectric Materials

Charged domain walls (CDWs) in ferroelectrics, as a result of “head-to-head” or “tail-to-tail” polarization configurations, are of significant scientific and technological importance, as they have been shown to play a critical role in affecting the atomic structures and controlling the electric, photoelectric and piezoelectric properties of ferroelectric materials. An understanding of the local response and underlying dynamic mechanism of CDWs under external excitations is necessary to engineer reliable ferroelectric devices. In this work, we present the nanoscale behavior of individual CDWs under applied mechanical stress and electric fields in a BiFeO3 thin film using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Reversion of the 8-azaguanine resistant phenotype of variant Chinese hamster cells treated with alkylating agents and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine

From cultures of V 79 Chinese hamster cells, 10 independent clones of 8-azaguanine resistant cells were isolated and subcultured. Cells from all ten clones were resistant to 1 mg/ml levels of 8-azaguanine (8-AzG), contained less than 3% of the wild type levels of the enzyme, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT), and were unable to grow in HAT medium. The ten clones were classified according to the conditions under which they reverted to the wild type phenotype. Clones in classes I and II reverted spontaneously with frequencies of 40·10 −5 and about 3·10 −5 respectively, and the reversion frequency was independent of the density of cells of all but one of the clones in the culture medium used. Class II clones evinced increased reversion frequencies with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and to a lesser extent with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BUdR), suggesting that these clones contained point mutations in a locus which controls HGPRT activity. The processes of reversion and toxicity appeared to be associated. Class III clones did not revert spontaneously or with BUdR and MNNG, but did revert with EMS. The reversion frequency of class I clones was not increased after treatment with EMS, MNNG or BUdR.
Video Compression Techniques

The problem of video compression is a difficult and important one, and has inspired a great deal of research activity. Many digital video compression techniques have been developed and implemented. The compression ratios of these algorithms varies according to the subjective level of error, the definition of the word “compression”, and who is making the claim. Table 1.1 summarizes video compression techniques, their typical compression ratios reported in the literature, and their characteristics. In this chapter, we present an overview of the most popular compression techniques and Standards.
Recent changes in glacier velocities and thinning at Novaya Zemlya

Abstract Ice loss from the glaciers of Novaya Zemlya (NVZ) is the dominant contributor to sea level for the Russian Arctic. Here we present maps of glacier elevation change rates ( dh dt ) and velocities at Novaya Zemlya that reveal evidence of the impact of both calving flux and surface melt on ice mass loss. dh dt are calculated by applying a weighted linear regression to stacked digital elevation models (DEMs) from a 1952 map and DEMs created from stereo-pairs of WorldView images acquired between 2012 and 2014. The ~ 60-year average mass change rate is − 0.23 ± 0.04 m w.e. yr− 1. The recent, short-term (2012–2013/2014) average mass change rate is − 0.40 ± 0.09 m w.e. yr− 1. We apply the same weighted linear regression to stacked WorldView DEMs and ICESat elevations from 2003 to 2009, as well as stacked WorldView DEMs and ASTER DEMs from 2000 to 2013. The dh dt from both datasets confirm that thinning has been more rapid than the 60-year average since 2000. Average mass loss has accelerated at the lower elevations of land-terminating glaciers, suggesting that recent near-surface warming and increased melt have led to greater thinning. Marine-terminating glaciers along the Barents Sea coast have substantially higher thinning rates near their termini in recent years than adjacent land-terminating glaciers, suggesting that calving flux is an important contributor to overall ice mass loss in the region. Flow velocities are generated by feature tracking on optical and radar image pairs. Marine-terminating glaciers along the Barents Sea coast have the highest frontal velocities of any glaciers on NVZ. Our surface velocity measurements constrain the calving flux at the two fastest-retreating glaciers, Inostrantseva (INO) and Vil'kitskogo (VIS), which are both on the Barents Sea coast. We find that the calving flux is high enough to drive frontal thinning and retreat at those two glaciers. Summer terminus speeds at Inostrantseva Glacier have accelerated from a 2006 maximum of 3 m day− 1 to a 2012 maximum of 9 to 10 m day− 1 and the front has retreated by more than 3 km between 2006/06/27 and 2013/08/17.
Comparison of transmission efficiency of various isolates of Potato virus Y among three aphid vectors

Potato virus Y (PVY) strains are transmitted by different aphid species in a non-persistent, non-circulative manner. Green peach aphid (GPA), Myzus persicae Sulzer, is the most efficient vector in laboratory studies, but potato aphid (PA), Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas (both Hemiptera: Aphididae, Macrosiphini), and bird cherry-oat aphid (BCOA), Rhopalosiphum padi L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae, Aphidini), also contribute to PVY transmission. Studies were conducted with GPA, PA, and BCOA to assess PVY transmission efficiency for various isolates of the same strain. Treatments included three PVY strains (PVYO, PVYN:O, PVYNTN) and two isolates of each strain (Oz and NY090031 for PVYO; Alt and NY090004 for PVYN:O; N4 and NY090029 for PVYNTN), using each of three aphid species as well as a sham inoculation. Virus-free tissue-cultured plantlets of potato cv. Russet Burbank were used as virus source and recipient plants. Five weeks post inoculation, recipient plants were tested with quantitative DAS-ELISA to assess infection percentage and virus titer. ELISA-positive recipient plants were assayed with RT-PCR to confirm presence of the expected strains. Transmission efficiency (percentage infection of plants) was highest for GPA, intermediate for BCOA, and lowest for PA. For all aphid species, transmission efficiency did not differ significantly between isolates within each strain. No correlations were found among source plant titer, infection percentage, and recipient plant titer. For both GPA and BCOA, isolates of PVYNTN were transmitted with greatest efficiency followed by isolates of PVYO and PVYN:O, which might help explain the increasing prevalence of necrotic strains in potato-growing regions. Bird cherry-oat aphid transmitted PVY with higher efficiency than previously reported, suggesting that this species is more important to PVY epidemiology than has been considered.
The Agricultural Tariff of 1922 and a Look Ahead

were already at the turning of the ways with respect to the balance of imports against exports. The farmers had been told that the period of surplus production was past, and that in the near future there was to be a shortage of farm products in America. Exports of agricultural products had indeed been falling off for some years before the War, and it was easy to calculate, on the basis of this apparent gain of consumption over production, at what future time we would be, for one important product after another, on a permanent import basis. This sort of doctrine and prophesy had gained such a vogue as to impress itself on many farmers and their friends. Hence, the renewed faith in the tariff as a savior of the agricultural situation following the cessation of hostilities in November, 1918. It is true that there was more than a tendency for agricultural products to make their way to American ports, as from time to time the buying power of foreign countries slackened. In 1919 and 1920, we imported appreciable quantities of agricultural products, including considerable consignments of dairy products, eggs, wool, beef, mutton, vegetable oils, wheat and sundry fruits -all of which articles compete with our home grown products. Of course, sugar also is imported in quantity, but the competition is on a different basis, since the bulk of our supplies is regularly produced outside the country. This unusual invasion of our ports by such quantities of goods from abroad was indeed a circumstance to attract attention. When, in the summer of 1920, our food stuff prices went over a precipice and fell like a plummet, it was inescapable that the blame should be laid at the door of the political party which had so suavely, and so characteristic-
A stochastic queuing model of quorum sensing in microbial communities

Microbial communities regulate various collective functions using molecular signaling circuits in a process known as quorum sensing (QS). Regulation and prediction of QS dynamics may reveal new strategies to control virulence in infections without the use of antibiotics. To this end, models of QS are important tools for prediction and analysis. In this paper, a stochastic and dynamic queuing model of QS signaling in microbial communities is presented. The model provides an abstraction of the detailed and complex biological signals, yet it is accurate enough to capture the dynamics and correlations in QS activation in a population of microbes.
A constitutive equation for fiber reinforced viscoelastic materials

A continuum theory of mixtures is used to develop a constitutive equation for fiber reinforced viscoelastic materials.
The Atom Force Microscopy Study on the Hypothalamus Neurons Membrane Perforate Induced by EMP

Objective: Using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe the membrane surface changes of rat's hippocampus primary culture neurons irradiated by EMP, and to explore possible injured mechanism of EMP to neuron membrane. Methods: Hippocampus from neonatal rats(24 hours) were isolated by dissection microscope, the concentration of the dilution neurons was 1×106/ml, then the cells were cultured in 6-well culture plates. About 14 days later, the cells were irradiated by high field strength 5 EMP ( electromagnetic pulse, EMP) within 2 minutes, The electromagnetic pulse simulator which provides 5 pulses/min with a high electric field intensity 60 kv/m, 20 ns rise time and 30 μs pulse wide. The exposed cells were fixed immediately following irradiation and scanned by AFM (SPM-9500J3, SHIMADZU). Results: The results showed that there is membrane perforate with different size and shape (281.56 nm×89.90 nm×17.76 nm). Conclusion: EMP could injury the neuron membrane of hippocampus, and the membrane may be the target position of EMP.
DNA repair in man.

DNA repair in man can be described in general terms, but details are still obscure. Excision repair of base damage has a general similarity to the mechanism of the bacterial uvr ABC exonuclease, but the individual roles of at least 15 genes that regulate mammalian excision repair are as yet unknown. The differential repair of specific regions of DNA and of specific genes is highlighted by the clustered mode of repair characteristic of xeroderma pigmentosum group C and by the rapid repair of the dihydrofolate reductase gene. Cloning of genes that specify repair in man is proceeding slowly, in part, because of confusion by genes that produce only partial correction or nonspecific changes in sensitivity and by phenotypic reversion. In human cells, DNA damage-inducible genes are recognized that may overlap the spectra of other stress-induced proteins, but the relationship of these to any error-prone or recA-like system is unknown and unlikely. Four diseases, xeroderma pigmentosum, ataxia telangiectasia, Cockayne syndrome, and Fanconi anemia, have well-documented and significantly increased sensitivities to DNA-damaging agents, and each has recognizable though complex abnormalities in processing DNA damage. In addition, a wide variety of diseases and cellular processes have been ascribed to an association with DNA damage and repair, but the accuracy and significance of these associations are hard to identify.
Educating patients in IBD

Larsen et al. have highlighted their positive findings for the use of touch screens in the inflammatory bowel disease outpatient clinic.[1] With the advent of technology there is certainly value in...
Analysis and Recomposition

Many statements in mathematics are given with tacit semantic assump­tions about their domains of application. Consider the following state­ment of the Chinese Remainder Theorem which is common in many texts:
Association of Increasing Use of Mechanical Ventilation Among Nursing Home Residents With Advanced Dementia and Intensive Care Unit Beds.

Importance Mechanical ventilation may be lifesaving, but in certain persons, such as those with advanced dementia, it may prolong patient suffering without a clear survival benefit. Objective To describe the use and outcomes of mechanical ventilation and its association with the increasing numbers of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the United States for patients with advanced dementia residing in a nursing home 120 days before that hospital admission. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study evaluated Medicare beneficiaries with advanced dementia hospitalized from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2013, using the Minimum Data Set assessments linked with Medicare part A claims. A hospital fixed-effect, multivariable logistic regression model examined the effect of changes in ICU beds within individual hospitals and the likelihood of receiving mechanical ventilation, controlling for patients’ demographic characteristics, function, and comorbidities. Main Outcomes and Measures Mechanical ventilation. Results From 2000 to 2013, a total of 635 008 hospitalizations of 380 060 eligible patients occurred (30.5% male and 69.5% female; mean [SD] age, 84.4 [7.4] years). Use of mechanical ventilation increased from 39 per 1000 hospitalizations in 2000 to 78 per 1000 hospitalizations in 2013 ( P P P = 54). Conclusions and Relevance Among hospitalized nursing home residents with advanced dementia, we found an increase in the use of mechanical ventilation over time without substantial improvement in survival. This increase in the use of mechanical ventilation was associated with an increase in the number of ICU beds within a hospital.
Two-stage revision for infected shoulder arthroplasty

Background Periprosthetic shoulder infections (PSIs) are challenging to treat and often result in significant patient morbidity. Without a standardized treatment protocol, PSIs are often managed similarly to periprosthetic hip and knee infections. Because 2-stage revision is the gold standard for treating periprosthetic hip and knee infections, we performed a case series and literature review to determine its effectiveness in PSIs. Methods We identified 19 patients (14 men) from our institution who were treated with a 2-stage revision after presenting with a PSI. Mean patient age was 63 ± 9 years, and average body mass index was 30.8 ± 5.8. The average time from the index arthroplasty to treatment was 40 months, 8 of 13 positive cultures were Propionibacterium acnes , and 9 of 19 patients had multiple shoulder operations before presenting with infection. Minimum follow-up for all patients was 2 years. Results After a mean follow-up of 63 months (range, 25-184 months), 15 of 19 patients in our study were successfully treated for PSI. Average postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Shoulder Assessment score was 69 (range, 32-98) and average postoperative forward elevation was significantly increased from 58° to 119° ( P Conclusion In patients with PSIs, especially those with intractable, chronic infections, a 2-stage revision represents a viable treatment option for eradicating infection and restoring function. However, it is important to recognize the risk of recurrent infection and postoperative complications in this challenging patient population.
Morgan, James G. Into New Territory: American Historians and the Concept of U.S. Imperialism

Is America an empire? For years, this question has preoccupied scholars of diplomacy and political pundits alike, from mainstream academics such as Andrew Bacevich, Niall Ferguson, and Jeremi Suri ...