cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vacillations Due to Wave Interference: Applications to the Atmosphere and to Annulus Experiments

It is noted that vacillations in zonally averaged flows can arise from wave interference between coexisting waves with the same zonal wavenumber but different phase speeds. It is shown that the appropriate baroclinic instability problem for the annulus does yield multiple instabilities which can produce vacillations via interference. It is also shown that the interference of traveling Rossby waves with stationary forced waves can lead to vacillations whose amplitudes and periods are consistent with the observed index cycle.
Mayoral Decision-Making: Issue Salience, Decision Context, and Choice Constraint? An Experimental Study with 120 Latin American Mayors

This study explores the effect on mayoral decision-making of three aspects of the decision environment: issue salience, context, and constraint. The study also tests the moderator effect that decision environment may have on a mayor’s qualifications in terms of educa tion and experience. These effects were tested on data drawn from a survey–experiment whose subjects were 120 incumbent mayors representing 12 Latin American countries. Mayors were presented with a hypothetical municipal problem in which their decision consisted of dealing with the problem by themselves or by delegating spending authority to a private agency. After manipulating the salience of the municipal problem (education vs. infrastructure), stressful context (statement about presence of guerrillas vs. no statement), and choice constraint (capable vs. incapable delegated private agency), analysis of variance and logit results show that under no constraint, mayors tend to delegate spending authority to a private agency for dealing with education, but not for infrastructure problems. Findings may suggest that mayors see more opportunities for rent-seeking and/or political benefits from handling spending personally in infrastructure but not in education. In Latin America, the position of city manager does not exist, making the elected mayor the primary decisionmaker, and as most of the social spending takes place at the municipal level, mayors’ decisions have a significant impact on development.
Endothelial nitric oxide production during in vitro simulation of external limb compression.

External pneumatic compression (EPC) is effective in preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and is thought to alter endothelial thromboresistant properties. We investigated the effect of EPC on chan...
Effects of Methyl Jasmonate and an Endophytic Fungus on Plant Resistance to Insect Herbivores

Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) forms a mutualistic relationship with the fungal endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum. The endophyte provides constitutive resistance to herbivores through its production of alkaloid compounds. Moreover, herbivore attack induces elevated synthesis of loline alkaloids, that is, the fungus also provides wound-inducible resistance for its host. Jasmonic acid and its conjugates are key signaling compounds in many plant species and play a role systemically in the upregulation of defensive compounds within plants following attack by herbivores. The purpose of our study was to determine if and how the plant and fungus respond to methyl jasmonate (MJ) exposure and if these responses interact in antagonistic or synergistic ways. Plants were exposed to MJ via gaseous diffusion within a controlled environment chamber. Response to MJ was assessed with an herbivore bioassay, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to quantify alkaloids, and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to quantify mRNA from a loline alkaloid biosynthesis gene. We found that MJ hindered endophyte-infected tall fescue’s resistance against aphids by downregulating transcription of the LolC gene. The opposite pattern was observed for endophyte-free tall fescue; its exposure to MJ resulted in a significant increase in resistance to aphids, apparently through stimulating defense compounds produced by the plant. These results indicate that, when tall fescue lacks fungal infection, MJ induces the plant to produce its own defensive compounds. In contrast, while endophyte-infected plants are defended from herbivores by fungally produced lolines, this defense is compromised by MJ.
Intramuscular testosterone enanthate plus very low dosage oral levonorgestrel suppresses spermatogenesis without causing weight gain in normal young men: a randomized clinical trial.

The development of a safe, well-tolerated, effective, and reversible male hormonal contraceptive would be a major clin- ical advance for couples planning their family size and for control of population growth. High-dosage parenteral testosterone (T) esters alone or in combination with a progestogen (eg, depot medroxypro- gesterone) have been shown to confer effective and reversible male contraception in clinical trials, but these regimens are associated with weight gain and suppression of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels. We have previously demonstrated that in- tramuscular T enanthate 100 mg weekly plus oral levonorgestrel (LNG) 125, 250, or 500 mg daily suppresses spermatogenesis to levels associated with effective contraception, but there is a LNG- dosage-dependent effect of weight gain and HDL suppression. We hypothesized that intramuscular T enanthate 100 mg weekly plus a very low dosage of oral LNG would effectively suppress spermato- genesis in normal men without inducing weight gain or HDL sup- pression. We conducted a randomized trial comparing 6 months of intramuscular T enanthate (100 mg weekly) plus 31.25 mg of oral LNG daily (T1LNG 31; n 5 20) or 62.5 mg of oral LNG daily (T1LNG 62; n 5 21). The 2 regimens were equally effective in suppressing spermatogenesis to azoospermia, fewer than 1 million sperm/mL and fewer than 3 million sperm/mL (T1LNG 31 (60%, 85%, and 90%) vs T1LNG 62 (62%, 91%, and 95%) for azoospermia, fewer than 1 million and fewer than 3 million, respectively; P 5 NS). The T1LNG 31 group did not gain weight (0.25 6 1.08 kg; P 5 NS compared with baseline), but the T1LNG 62 group gained 2.5 6 0.77 kg (P , .05 compared with baseline). Serum HDL cholesterol levels declined significantly in both groups (percentage decline month 6 of treatment vs baseline: 12.0% 6 2.6% and 15.1% 6 3.0%; P , .05 for T1LNG 31 and 62 respectively). Serum low-den- sity lipoprotein cholesterol levels also declined in both groups (per- centage decline month 6 of treatment vs baseline: 6.9 6 3.9 and 6.0% 6 4.1%; P , .05 for T1LNG 31 and P 5 NS for T1LNG 62). There were no clinically significant adverse events or significant changes in hematology or chemistry profiles in either group during the study. We conclude that 1) intramuscular T plus oral LNG has a very potent synergistic effect in suppressing spermatogenesis at LNG dosages equal to or lower than dosages used in common fe- male oral contraceptive regimens and 2) large, long-term contracep- tive efficacy trials should be conducted with a variety of androgen- progestogen combinations including long-acting T formulations such as depot T pellets or intramuscular T undecanoate plus depot LNG or very low dosage oral LNG.
Genistein, a Soy Phytoestrogen, Upregulates the Expression of Human Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Lowers Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Genistein, a soy phytoestrogen, may improve vascular function, but the mechanism of this effect is unclear. Endothelial-derived nitric oxide (NO) is a key regulator of vascular tone and atherogenesis. Previous studies have established that estrogen can act directly on vascular endothelial cells (EC) to enhance NO synthesis through genomic stimulation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) expression. However, it is unknown whether genistein has a similar effect. We therefore investigated whether genistein directly regulates NO synthesis in primary human aortic EC (HAEC) and human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC). Genistein, at physiologically achievable concentrations in individuals consuming soy products, enhanced the expression of eNOS and subsequently elevated NO synthesis in both HAEC and HUVEC, with 1-10 micromol/L genistein inducing the maximal effects. However, the effects of genistein on eNOS and NO were not mediated by activation of estrogen signaling or inhibition of tyrosine kinases, 2 known biological actions of genistein. Genistein (1-10 micromol/L) increased eNOS gene expression (1.8- to 2.6-fold of control) and significantly increased eNOS promoter activity of the human eNOS gene in HAEC and HUVEC, suggesting that genistein activates eNOS transcription. Dietary supplementation of genistein to spontaneously hypertensive rats restored aortic eNOS levels, improved aortic wall thickness, and alleviated hypertension, confirming the biological relevance of the in vitro findings. Our data suggest that genistein has direct genomic effects on the vascular wall that are unrelated to its known actions, leading to increased eNOS expression and NO synthesis, thereby improving hypertension.
Between Arabs, Turks and Iranians: The town of Basra, 1600–1700

Early modern Basra is often portrayed as the end of an Ottoman chain of command that grew successively weaker as it stretched from Istanbul to the Persian Gulf. This article complicates the picture of an imperial outpost over which the metropole was unable to impose effective control by discussing seventeenth-century Basra as the point of convergence of various regional and trans-regional spheres of influence and jurisdiction. Basra remained contested territory long after the city was supposedly incorporated into the Ottoman framework in 1546, and in its subsequent history we see multiple actors engaged in a fierce struggle over power and income. Local authorities, regional tribal forces, and outside elements—the Portuguese and the two imperial powers with claims on the region, the Ottomans and the Safavids—participated in this struggle through alliance building and mutual manipulation.
Rapid Velocity-Encoded Cine Imaging with Turbo-BRISK

Velocity-encoded cine (VEC) imging is potentially an important clinical diagnostic technique for cardiovascular diseases. Advances in gradient technology combined with segmentation approaches have made possible breathhold VEC imaging, allowing data to be obtained free of respiratory artifacts. However, when using conventional segmentation approaches, spatial and temporal resolutions are typically compromised to accommodate short breathhold times. Here we apply a sparse sampling technique, turbo-BRISK (i.e., segmented block regional interpolation scheme for k-space) to VEC imaging, allowing increased spatial and temporal resolution to be obtained in a short breathhold period. BRISK is a sparse sampling technique with interpolation used to generate unsampled data. BRISK was implemented to reduce the scan time by 70% compared with a conventional scan. Further, turbo-BRISK scans, using segmentation factors up to 5, reduce the scan time by up to 94%. Phantom and in vivo results are presented that demonstrate the accuracy of turbo-BRISK VEC imaging. In vitro validation is performed using conventional magnetic resonance VEC. Pulsatile centerline Jrow velocity measurements obtained with turbo-BRISK acquisitions were correlated with conventional magnetic resonance imaging measurements and achieved r values of 0.99 rt 0.004 (mean 2 SD) with stroke volumes agreeing to within 4%. A potential limitation of BRISK is reduced accuracy for rapidly varying velocity projles. We present low- and high-resolution data sets to illustrate the resolution dependence of this phenomenon and demonstrate that at conventional resolutions, turbo-BRISK can accurately represent rapid velocity changes. In vivo results indicate that centerline velocity waveforms in the descending aorta correlate well with conventional measurements with an average r value of 0.98 2 0.01.
Impurity and grain size effects on the creep of polycrystalline magnesia and alumina

Steady state, constant load, creep experiments have been conducted on pure and doped, polycrystalline magnesium and aluminum oxides to determine: 1) the effect of solid solution impurities (e.g. Fe, Cr, Ti) on deformation mechanisms, particularly as they relate to the concentration of lattice defects 2) the effects of impurities, atmosphere, and grain size on the relative contribution to viscous deformation of lattice and grain boundary diffusion of both cationic and anionic species 3) the relative roles of viscous and non-viscous deformation mechanisms.
X-ray measurement of order in CuAu

Abstract The long-range order in CuAu has been measured with a Geiger counter spectrometer using filings quenched from various annealing temperatures. The long range order is essentially perfect at low temperature, and decreases to about 0.97 at 380°C, where the material changes to CuAuII. Short-range order coefficients were determined from measurements of the diffuse intensity from a single crystal of CuAu. The coefficients indicate a preference for unlike nearest neighbors, and they are qualitatively similar to those for Cu3Au. An outward shift of the 100 and 300 diffuse peaks suggests but does not prove the existence of a microlayering, similar to CuAuI, even above the critical temperature.
Ground‐water studies in the Southwest

Geologists are concerned with the rock-systems that form the crust of the Earth. The groundwater geologists are concerned with the rock-systems specifically because the open spaces which the rocks contain serve as reservoirs and conduits for water—water which performs a large part of the geologic work that is in progress today and has been in progress during past ages; water which affects profoundly the whole hydrologic cycle and is still the principal source of water-supply for mankind, as it has been for primitive man and the other land animals before the time of artificial waterworks.
odr-10 Encodes a Seven Transmembrane Domain Olfactory Receptor Required for Responses to the Odorant Diacetyl

Olfactory signaling is initiated by interactions between odorants and olfactory receptors. We show that the C. elegans odr-10 gene is likely to encode a receptor for the odorant diacetyl. odr-10 mutants have a specific defect in chemotaxis to diacetyl, one of several odorants detected by the AWA olfactory neurons. odr-10 encodes a predicted seven transmembrane domain receptor; a green fluorescent protein-tagged Odr-10 protein is localized to the AWA sensory cilia. odr-10 expression is regulated by odr-7, a transcription factor implicated in AWA sensory specification. Expression of odr-10 from a heterologous promoter directs behavioral responses to diacetyl, but not to another odorant detected by the AWA neurons. These results provide functional evidence for a specific interaction between an olfactory receptor protein and its odorant ligand.
Recent advances in the understanding of the effects of opioid agents on feeding and appetite

The endogenous opioid system has been implicated in a wide range of homeostatic, autonomic and motivational functions, including mediation of food intake. This review examines the roles of the three traditional gene-related opioid peptides (proopiomelanocortin, proenkephalin, prodynorphin) and the three major opioid receptor subtypes and their clones (mu [MOR-1], delta [DOR-1] and kappa [KOR-1]) in mediating food intake under spontaneous, deprivation, glucoprivic, stressful and palatable ingestive situations. The opportunities of both the identified selective opioid receptor subtype agonists and antagonists are reviewed with respect to food intake, as well as the problems related to crossed affinities and neuroanatomical mismatches between the major opioid peptides and their presumed receptor subtypes. The cloning of the opioid receptors, together with the recent discoveries of a new generation of opioid peptides (orphanin FQ/nociceptin, endomorphins), are examined for their presumed modulation of food intake. The opportunities created by recent molecular 'knockdown' techniques, primarily the use of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, in creating highly specific and selective probes for elucidating specific receptor mediation of different forms of food intake, are given specific attention. These new data suggest the role of splice variants of opioid receptor clones in differentially mediating different forms of food intake, raising the possibility for the further development of precise pharmaceutical tools with which to address disorders and deficits related to ingestion.
A Guide to Clinical Safety

Multiple issues affecting the prudent use of diagnostic sonography in the clinical environment are discussed. Topics include an analysis of the concept of benefits versus risks, clinical efficacy in obstetrics, minimum threshold for thermal effects, Output Display Standard, mechanical index, thermal index, user responsibility, and ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable). Thermal and mechanical acoustic output indices offer a uniform approach to control ultrasonic exposure of patients and to provide assurance of safety.
Interleukin 1 alpha inhibits prostaglandin E2 release to suppress pulsatile release of luteinizing hormone but not follicle-stimulating hormone.

Abstract Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), a powerful endogenous pyrogen released from monocytes and macrophages by bacterial endotoxin, stimulates corticotropin, prolactin, and somatotropin release and inhibits thyrotropin release by hypothalamic action. We injected recombinant human IL-1 alpha into the third cerebral ventricle, to study its effect on the pulsatile release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in conscious, freely moving, ovariectomized rats. Intraventricular injection of 0.25 pmol of IL-1 alpha caused an almost immediate reduction of plasma LH concentration; this decrease was statistically significant 20 min after injection and occurred through a highly significant reduction in the number of LH pulses, with no effect on pulse amplitude. In contrast, there was no change in pulse frequency but a small significant elevation in amplitude of FSH pulses. Intraventricular injection of the diluent had no effect on gonadotropin release. The results provide further evidence for separate hypothalamic control mechanisms for FSH and LH release. To determine the mechanism of the suppression of LH release, mediobasal hypothalamic fragments were incubated in vitro with IL-1 alpha (10 pM) and the release of LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) and prostaglandin E2 into the medium was measured by RIA in the presence or absence of norepinephrine (50 microM). IL-1 alpha reduced basal LHRH release and blocked LHRH release induced by norepinephrine. It had no effect on the basal release of prostaglandin E2; however, it completely inhibited the release of PGE2 evoked by norepinephrine. To evaluate the possibility that IL-1 alpha might also interfere with the epoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids were also measured. IL-1 alpha had no effect on the content of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids in the hypothalamic fragments as measured by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. In conclusion, IL-1 alpha suppresses LH but not FSH release by an almost complete cessation of pulsatile release of LH in the castrated rat. The mechanism of this effect appears to be by inhibition of prostaglandin E2-mediated release of LHRH.
Using the alcohol, smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) to determine substance abuse prevalence in the RI trauma population.

BACKGROUND: Level I trauma centers are required to provide screening and brief interventions for alcohol abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) is a validated screening measure for all substances of abuse. This study is the first to use the ASSIST to screen a trauma population. METHODS: A cross-sectional screening study using the ASSIST was conducted which included all patients admitted to the trauma service at Rhode Island Hospital during July and August 2012 who met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The ASSIST categorized 25% of participants as needing a brief intervention for alcohol and an additional 6.3% as needing more intensive treatment. At least a brief intervention was indicated for at least one other substance besides alcohol in 37% of participants. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of the ASSIST to identify misuse of multiple substances makes it a good candidate for the screening measure used by trauma centers.
From Form to Function: A History of the Department of Biochemistry of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine

The department of biochemistry is the oldest basic science department at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Its first chair, who was also the first faculty member to be appointed to the medical school itself, was hired in 1952, three years before the fledgling institution opened its doors to the first entering class. Since those early days, the department has helped shape the academic environment of the college, influencing the selection of departmental chairs, guiding medical school admissions, and teaching courses that laid the foundation for the medical school curriculum. In this article, we summarize briefly the history of the department from its inception to the present. We review the accomplishments of each of its three chairs and discuss how the department has helped define the character of the institution as a whole.
Mom Knows Best: Imprinted Control of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Quiescence

The mechanisms by which imprinted loci control activity of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are not known. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Qian et al. (2016) demonstrate that non-coding RNAs expressed by the maternal-imprinted locus Dlk1-Gtl2 maintain HSC self-renewal through the inhibition of PI3K-mTOR signaling, mitochondrial biogenesis, and metabolic activity.
Impact of Scale on the Acoustics from a Conical C-D Nozzle Interacting with a Flat Surface

Advances in jet technology have pushed towards faster aircraft, leading to more streamlined designs and configurations, pushing engines closer to the aircraft frame. This creates additional noise sources stemming from interactions between the jet flow and surfaces on the aircraft body, as well as interactions between the jet and the ground during takeoff and landing. This paper studies how the presence of a flat plate affects the flow and acoustics in the supersonic jet from a circular C-D nozzle, and how these scale to other nozzle diameters. Comparisons are drawn between baseline cases without a plate and varying nozzle diameters to properly assess the scaling impact of the plate at NPRs of 2.5, 3.0, 3.67, 4.0 and 4.5, and ultimately temperature ratios up to 3.0. At an azimuthal angle of 180° the flat surface causes a shielding effect that mitigates jet mixing noise, and broadband shock-associated noise. Conversely, the sideline position at the azimuthal angle of 90° enhances OASPL magnitudes across all conditions. The study found that plate acoustics scale very well with increasing nozzle diameter, although plate shielding at 180° was the one outlier, causing less dampening of noise across all angles relative to the medium nozzle. Screech tones were not adversely affected by the plate presence, producing significant spikes even at the design condition at an azimuthal angle of 90° (largest spike ~15dB). The frequency of peaks in the upstream and downstream spectra, as well as the frequency of screech tones was matched regardless of nozzle scale. The high screech case, NPR of 3.0, even produces screech for shielded and reflected cases (up to ~30dB), though temperature mitigates these tones across all test conditions. Ultimately these results are compared to a nozzle designed through method of characteristic and a rectangular nozzle of equivalent diameter.
Prediction of the Heat Transfer Characteristics of Turbine Rotor Pedestal Arrays

In order to adequately cool the blades inside the turbine section of a modern turbojet engine, gas turbine engine manufacturers use internal cooling approaches; i.e. channels inside each blade through which air from colder sections of the engine is pumped. The focus of this work is the rear cooling channel exit. Here the cooling flow passes through a pedestal (pin fin) array before exiting back into the main engine flow. The fluid flow and heat transfer parameters associated with these channels, referred to as performance, have historically been predicted through the use of correlations, obtained through laboratory experiments. While adequately predicting the cooling performance, the range of applicability is limited, only really useful for the geometric configurations tested in those laboratory experiments. In this study it has been shown that the performance described in the experimental laboratory tests can be accurately predicted through the use of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations using FLUENT. It has also been shown that CFD FLUENT simulations can adequately predict the effects of pedestal geometric variations as well as previously observed physical phenomena associated with flows around pedestal arrays, i.e. the horseshoe vortex, unsteadiness, etc. on heat transfer. The relatively low cost of a CFD simulation permits engineers to design and evaluate the performance of many pedestal arrays to find the best option for the particular task at hand, ultimately reducing the cost of design and increasing turbine cooling performance.
A PILOT STUDY OF A MODIFIED BATHROOM SCALE TO MONITOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEMODYNAMIC IN PREGNANCY

We showed that the ballistocardiogram (BCG) signal - the heart beat induced repetitive movements of the body due to acceleration of blood as it is ejected into the large vessels - can be measured using a modified bathroom scale. We used the scale to acquire serial measurements of BCG waveforms
Precipitation phenomena in FeCl3-NaH2PO2 aqueous solutions at 245°C

Precipitation phenomena in aqueous solutions containing FeCl3 and NaH2PO2 in varying concentrations have been studied at 245 °C. The composition and the morphology of the resulting particles depended strongly on the concentration ratios of the reacting ions. In the presence of small amounts of NaH2PO2 only hematite formed of different particle shapes. An increased addition of hypophosphite ions had two effects: first, anions of phosphorus were incorporated in the solids and, second, ferric ions were reduced to ferrous ions giving a variety of products.
Rapid determination of malachite,crystal violet and their metabolites in aquatic products by HPLC with ultraviolet and fluorescent detection

Objective:To develop a method for determination of malachite green,crystal and their metabolites in aquatic products by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescent detection.Methods: The analytes were extracted with Mcllvaines buffer(pH3.0)+acetonitrile(1+2) and purified by MCX solid-phase extraction cartridges.The separation was carried out on a synergy C18 column(250×4.6 mm,5 μm) with pH4.5,100 mmol/L ammonium acetate+acetonitrile(20+80) as mobile phase.The quantification was accomplished by external standard method.Results: The calibration curves showed good linearity for 4 analytes with detection limits of 0.052~1.2 μg/kg.The spiked recoveries in aquatic products samples ranged from 71%~93% with RSDs less than 10%.Conclusion: The method was simple,practical,and suitable for the determination of malachite green,crystal and their metabolites in aquatic products.
Nonunion in Fractures of the Femoral Neck

Summary With adequate reduction, impaction, and accurate internal fixation with newer devices, the intracapsular fracture of the femoral neck can be expected to heal in at least 90 per cent of the patients. A lower incidence of recognizable aseptic necrosis has been reported under these circumstances. The pedicle graft technique appears to be a helpful adjunct in comminuted fractures. It also seems to favorably affect the incidence of aseptic necrosis. The Deyerle device, when correctly used, apparently allows early weight bearing without any untoward event. The replacement prosthesis may be of value in the aged, either as primary treatment or when closed reduction is unsuccessful.
Natural Law Liberalism: Liberalism and Natural Law

Having given some basic accounts of the development and core ideas of liberalism and natural law, and specifically of the topic of natural law and liberty, I now want to turn to the question of the relationship between liberalism and natural law. I will argue that they are fundamentally compatible and that the harmony between them makes possible a genuine natural law liberalism. THE TRUTH NATURAL LAW SEES IN LIBERALISM In what follows, I will generally argue that proponents of natural law can and should readily embrace the core principles of liberalism, although they will take particular positions in the intra-liberalism debates over the ground and scope of some of those principles. The main principles of liberalism are not just defensible from a natural law perspective, but are good. Natural law theorists can also accept much of what I have called the “tendencies” of liberalism, but here they may see a greater need to qualify or limit these tendencies in various ways. Those qualifications redound, however, to the benefit of liberalism. Natural Law and Core Principles of Liberalism Let us begin by asking how a natural law theorist might evaluate the core principles of liberalism. Human Dignity Rooted in Equality Natural law theory is strongly committed to the notion of human dignity, rooted in human equality. This dignity involves a high respect or recognition of worth, some form of inviolability, and the inherent possession of rights.
High-volume manufacturing device overlay process control

Overlay control based on DI metrology of optical targets has been the primary basis for run-to-run process control for many years. In previous work we described a scenario where optical overlay metrology is performed on metrology targets on a high frequency basis including every lot (or most lots) at DI. SEM based FI metrology is performed ondevice in-die as-etched on an infrequent basis. Hybrid control schemes of this type have been in use for many process nodes. What is new is the relative size of the NZO as compared to the overlay spec, and the need to find more comprehensive solutions to characterize and control the size and variability of NZO at the 1x nm node: sampling, modeling, temporal frequency and control aspects, as well as trade-offs between SEM throughput and accuracy.
Improving Antimicrobial Stewardship in Cancer Patients Through Implementation of Clinical Guidelines

Purpose of review Antimicrobial stewardship programs have consistently demonstrated the ability to reduce excessive antibiotic utilization, improve the management of targeted diseases, improve outcomes, and reduce costs. Implementation of institutional guidelines are effective options to promote appropriate cost-effective antimicrobial utilization and are recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer patients are frequent users of antimicrobials and present unique challenges for antimicrobial stewardship programs, due to high risk for infection and risk for opportunistic infection and infection with multi-drug-resistant pathogens. Thus, this review evaluates the impact of guidelines on antibiotic management and associated clinical outcomes in cancer patients. Recent findings This review demonstrates that antibiotic stewardship guidelines targeting cancer patients can improve suboptimal or delayed antimicrobial prescribing and lead to subsequent reductions in mortality and decreased length of hospitalization. Additionally, guideline implementation can reduce excessive durations of unnecessary antimicrobial therapy without adversely impacting clinical outcomes. Summary Implementation of antibiotic stewardship guidelines could be an effective tool to promote appropriate antibiotic prescribing and reduce unnecessary antibiotic utilization in cancer patients.
A multi-plate velocity-map imaging design for high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy

A velocity map imaging (VMI) setup consisting of multiple electrodes with three adjustable voltage parameters, designed for slow electron velocity map imaging applications, is presented. The motivations for this design are discussed in terms of parameters that influence the VMI resolution and functionality. Particularly, this VMI has two tunable potentials used to adjust for optimal focus, yielding good VMI focus across a relatively large energy range. It also allows for larger interaction volumes without significant sacrifice to the resolution via a smaller electric gradient at the interaction region. All the electrodes in this VMI have the same dimensions for practicality and flexibility, allowing for relatively easy modifications to suit different experimental needs. We have coupled this VMI to a cryogenic ion trap mass spectrometer that has a flexible source design. The performance is demonstrated with the photoelectron spectra of S− and CS2−. The latter has a long vibrational progression in the groun...
Determining Energies and Cross Sections of Individual Ions Using Higher-Order Harmonics in Fourier Transform Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry (FT-CDMS).

A general method for in situ measurements of the energy of individual ions trapped and weighed using charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) is described. Highly charged (> 300 e), individual polyethylene glycol (PEG) ions are trapped and oscillate within an electrostatic trap, producing a time domain signal. A segmented Fourier transform (FT) of this signal yields the temporal evolution of the fundamental and harmonic frequencies of ion motion throughout the 500-ms trap time. The ratio of the fundamental frequency and second harmonic (HAR) depends on the ion energy, which is an essential parameter for measuring ion mass in CDMS. This relationship is calibrated using simulated ion signals, and the calibration is compared to the HAR values measured for PEG ion signals where the ion energy was also determined using an independent method that requires that the ions be highly charged (> 300 e). The mean error of 0.6% between the two measurements indicates that the HAR method is an accurate means of ion energy determination that does not depend on ion size or charge. The HAR is determined dynamically over the entire trapping period, making it possible to observe the change in ion energy that takes place as solvent evaporates from the ion and collisions with background gas occur. This method makes it possible to measure mass changes, either from solvent evaporation or from molecular fragmentation (MSn), as well as the cross sections of ions measured using CDMS.
Lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injections are equally effective for treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain in the obese compared to non-obese population: a pilot study.

Background and objectives Current evidence suggests that lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) is an effective treatment for lumbosacral radicular pain. However, practitioners may be reluctant to attempt this intervention in obese patients because of a perceived reduction in the chance of providing pain relief due to the increased technical difficulty of TFESI in individuals with a larger body habitus. No study to date has compared the effectiveness of TFESI in groups stratified by BMI. We report pilot data addressing whether lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injection is as effective in treating lumbosacral radicular pain in the obese and overweight population as it is in the non-overweight population. Material and methods This study consisted of 9 normal weight (18.5 30) patients who presented with lumbosacral radicular pain and received a TFESI. For each group, percent reduction in pain and the proportion of individuals with a 50% or greater reduction in pain 2-4 weeks after TFESI was determined. Results Comparing the overweight and obese groups to the normal weight group, no significant differences were found in the percent improvement in pain after TFESI (p=0.7154, p=0.4566) or in the proportion of each group with a 50% or greater reduction in lower back pain after TFESI (p=0.2968). Conclusion Our pilot data indicates that lumbosacral TFESI is as effective in providing short-term relief of lumbosacral radicular pain in obese and overweight patients as it is in non-overweight patients. However, our sample size was not large enough to find a significant difference at a power of 80%. We plan to perform a larger prospective study to confirm the findings of this study. Level of evidence Case-control study, Level II-2.
Children's Challenging Eating Behaviors: Picky Eating, Food Neophobia, and Food Selectivity

Abstract Picky eating, food neophobia, and food selectivity are challenging eating behaviors that emerge during early childhood. Although these behaviors are highly interrelated, they differ in prevalence and scope. In this chapter, we define each of the behaviors and explore their similarities and differences in terms of measurement, antecedents, and consequences. All three behaviors appear to have both genetic and environmental components that impact the severity and degree to which the behaviors are expressed. Additionally, each of the behaviors is associated with important nutrition, health, and growth outcomes. To date, the majority of data related to these behaviors has been collected through cross-sectional studies, and thus it is difficult to make conclusions regarding the developmental trajectory of these behaviors or recommendations for treatment in severe clinical cases. Consistent definitions and measurement approaches are needed to better understand antecedents and to develop effective interventions for each behavior.
Association of Statin Adherence With Mortality in Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Importance Statins decrease mortality in those with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but statin adherence remains suboptimal. Objective To determine the association between statin adherence and mortality in patients with ASCVD who have stable statin prescriptions. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort analysis included patients who were between ages 21 and 85 years and had 1 or moreInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modificationcodes for ASCVD on 2 or more dates in the previous 2 years without intensity changes to their statin prescription who were treated within the Veterans Affairs Health System between January 1, 2013, and April 2014. Exposures Statin adherence was defined by the medication possession ratio (MPR). Adherence levels were categorized as an MPR of less than 50%, 50% to 69%, 70% to 89%, and 90% or greater. For dichotomous analyses, adherence was defined as an MPR of 80% or greater. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was death of all causes adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as adherence to other cardiac medications. Results Of 347 104 eligible adults with ASCVD who had stable statin prescriptions, 5472 (1.6%) were women, 284 150 (81.9%) were white, 36 208 (10.4%) were African American, 16 323 (4.7%) were Hispanic, 4093 (1.2%) were Pacific Islander, 1293 (0.4%) were Native American, 1145 (0.3%) were Asian, and 1794 (0.5%) were other races. Patients taking moderate-intensity statin therapy were more adherent than patients taking high-intensity statin therapy (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.20). Women were less adherent (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.94), as were minority groups. Younger and older patients were less likely to be adherent compared with adults aged 65 to 74 years. During a mean (SD) of 2.9 (0.8) years of follow-up, there were 85 930 deaths (24.8%). Compared with the most adherent patients (MPR ≥ 90%), patients with an MPR of less than 50% had a hazard ratio (HR; adjusted for clinical characteristics and adherence to other cardiac medications) of 1.30 (95% CI, 1.27-1.34), those with an MPR of 50% to 69% had an HR of 1.21 (95% CI, 1.18-1.24), and those with an MPR of 70% to 89% had an HR of 1.08 (95% CI, 1.06-1.09). Conclusions and Relevance Using a national sample of Veterans Affairs patients with ASCVD, we found that a low adherence to statin therapy was associated with a greater risk of dying. Women, minorities, younger adults, and older adults were less likely to adhere to statins. Our findings underscore the importance of finding methods to improve adherence.
Self-calibrated frequency domain diffuse optical spectroscopy with a phased source array

In this paper, we show that interfering multiple photon density waves created by intensity-modulated sources in frequency domain diffuse optical spectroscopy (fd-DOS) can be used to recover the optical properties of homogenous and heterogeneous tissues. While fd-DOS can recover the optical properties of homogenous tissue using a single source-detector pair, heterogeneous or layered tissues such as breast, brain, and skin require additional source-detector pairs with multiple separations. Through modelling, we show that the varying illumination patterns created by the interference of two intensity modulated sources can be used to recover the optical properties of two-layer tissue using only a single detector and two phased sources. Two-dimensional fd-DOS models of the conventional multi-distance and proposed multi-phase approaches were compared for homogenous and two-layered tissues. In a homogenous tissue with absorption and reduced scattering coefficients representative of human breast, the simulation results showed that both multi-distance and multi-phase approaches are capable of recovering the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the tissue. However, the multi-phase approach has less precision than the conventional multidistance approach. In the two-layer model, the multi-phase approach was capable of recovering the optical properties of both layers, while the multi-distance approach could not.
Opto-Acoustics:Old Idea with New Applications

The opto-acoustic (OA) or photo-acoustic (PA) effect is the generation of acoustic waves by electromagnetic waves or other types of radiation incident on a sample. This effect was discovered by A. G. Bell in 1880, who observed that audible sound is produced when chopped sunlight is absorbed by a sample. Although the OA effect is very old, there is a great resurgence of interest in it in the past several years, both theoretically and experimentally. This appears to be due to the following reasons: 1) Intense light sources (various lasers and arc lamps) have become more readily available in recent years. 2) Highly-sensitive acoustic detectors (microphones, hydrophones, thin-film piezoelectric detectors, etc) have been developed. 3) OA technique has been shown to be one of the most sensitive spectroscopic technique for gases as well as for condensed samples. 4) OA methods have many unique applications, e.g. spectroscopic studies of opaque or powdered materials, studies of energy conversion processes, and imaging of invisible or subsruface features in solids; furthermore, future “exotic” applications like air-to-ocean communications or cosmic ray detections appear possible.
Economic burden of cutaneous infections in children and adults with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory disease affecting both children and adults. AD is associated with multiple comorbidities and complications. In particular, AD patients are susceptible to developing cutaneous infections. Studies show that comorbidities have contributed significantly to increased health care utilization and costs in AD. However, evidence regarding the degree to which this increased health care utilization and expenditure in AD is attributable to cutaneous infections is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of skin infections on health care utilization and expenditures among patients with atopic dermatitis. METHODS This cross-sectional study examined health care utilization and expenditures for AD patients of all ages with and without skin infections in the United States using the nationally representative 1996-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. RESULTS In this study, a total of 4 825 668 (weighted) patients had a diagnosis of AD (mean age 5.7). Of these, 776 753 patients (16%) experienced skin infections (mean age 4.4). Compared to AD patients without skin infections, those with skin infections had more frequent visits to ambulatory clinics (P = 0.001) and the emergency department (P = 0.011), and increased hospitalization (P = 0.010), after adjustments for demographic and clinical factors. AD patients with skin infections were also given 3.3 more prescriptions (P < 0.0001). AD patients with skin infections incurred significantly greater health care costs, which included an additional $351/patient/year for ambulatory visits (P < 0.0001) and an additional $177/patient/year for prescription medications (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Atopic dermatitis patients with cutaneous infections incurred significantly greater health care utilization and expenditures than those without cutaneous infections.
DOA Estimation Exploiting Sparse Array Motions

This paper utilizes sparse array motion to increase the numbers of achievable both degrees of freedom (DOFs) and consecutive lags in direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation problems. We use commonly employed environment-independent sparse array configurations. The design of these arrays is not dependent on the sources in the field of view, but rather aims at achieving desirable difference co-arrays. They include structured coprime and nested arrays, minimum redundancy array (MRA), minimum hole array (MHA), and sparse uniform linear array (SULA). Array motion can fill the holes in the spatial autocorrelation lags associated with a fixed platform and, therefore, increases the number of sources detectable by the same number of array sensors. Quasi-stationarity of the environment is assumed where the source locations and waveforms are considered invariant over array motion of half wavelength. Closed-form expressions of the number of DOFs and consecutive spatial correlation lags for coprime and nested arrays as well as SULA, due to array translation motion, are derived. The number of DOFs and consecutive lags for the specific cases of MRA an 5 avaluated. We show the respective DOA estimation performance based on sparse reconstruction techniques.
Investigation of “Keriang” fruit Dye application on the performance of Dye-Sensitized solar cell with anatase-rutile TiO 2 Electrode

Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) or ‘Gratzel cell’ is a low-cost solar cell from the thin film family which consists of TiO 2 electrode coating, sensitizer from dye molecules soaked in the TiO 2 film, a mediator electrolyte layer, and a counter electrode. This paper focuses on fabricating dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with anatase and anatase-rutile mixture of nanocrystalline TiO 2 at varied thickness sensitized with high light-absorbing nature dye and an alternative conductive counter electrode catalytic material. This paper proposes on the potentials of $10\ {\mu}\mathbf{m}$ thickness of rutile-anatase (RA) with a 1:4 ratio concentration, absorbed into a high concentration anthocyanin from ‘keriang’ fruit extract and by the use of carbon as a counter electrode. This arrangement shows the highest solar cell efficiency at 1.16% with higher short circuit current of 5.5 mA/cm2 and fill factor of 0.55 which is the highest among overall experimented nature-based solar cell.
A Novel Spot-Size Converter with Asymmetric Taper for Deep-Ridge Waveguide Devices

A novel spot-size converter with a buried asymmetric taper which enables a $0\,\mu \mathrm{m}$-wide tip is proposed for high coupling efficiency between a deep-ridge waveguide device and an optical fiber. As a result of measurement, fabricated devices showed a very low mode conversion and coupling loss of 0.6 dB/facet.
Exploratory Study of Nondestructive Parallel Seismic Testing Challenges in Estimating the Depth of Unknown Wood Bridge Foundations

AbstractNondestructive methods have been extensively used to characterize unknown bridge foundations. Among various nondestructive methods, conventional and reverse parallel seismic (PS) methods ar...