cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Institute of Medicine Committee Report “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care”

The new Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, entitled “Better Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuous Learning Healthcare in America”1 promises to have the same impact on US healthcare as the prior IOM reports on quality and safety from a decade or more ago.2–4 Importantly, this report drew on information generated by the IOM Roundtable on Value and Science-Driven Healthcare, which produced 11 volumes exploring the challenges and opportunities in US healthcare delivery. Many leading cardiovascular providers participated in this roundtable effort and contributed to these volumes, so it is not surprising that the impact of “Better Care at Lower Cost” is likely to catalyze the transformation of cardiovascular healthcare delivery in the United States in the near future. A careful perusal of the report illustrates how much the current cardiovascular care environment needs to change to meet the “Better Care at Lower Cost” mandate of the report, while highlighting the enormous opportunity for cardiovascular care inherent in this transformation. The essential characteristics of a learning healthcare system as applied to cardiovascular disease care delivery are accurately reflected in the dimensions of science and informatics, patient-clinician partnerships, incentives, and culture. To meet the characteristics of these 4 dimensions, evolutionary changes will need to occur in each area: 1. In science and informatics, cardiovascular disease has in many ways led all organized medicine with respect to its nationally focused specialty-society databases and the data-driven information management systems typically used locally in cardiovascular medicine that allow collection, reporting, …
A model for deliberation, action, and introspection

This thesis investigates the problem of controlling or directing the reasoning and actions of a computer program. The basic approach explored is to view reasoning as a species of action, so that a program might apply its reasoning powers to the task of deciding what inferences to make as well as to deciding what other actions to take. A design for the architecture of reasoning programs is proposed. This architecture involves self-consciousness, intentional actions, deliberate adaptations, and a form of decision-making based on dialectical argumentation. A program based on this architecture inspects itself, describes aspects of itself to itself, and uses this self-reference and these self-descriptions in making decisions and taking actions. The program's mental life includes awareness of its own concepts, beliefs, desires, intentions, inferences, actions, and skills. All of these are represented by self-descriptions in a single sort of language, so that the program has access to all of these aspects of itself, and can reason about them in the same terms.
Setting Limits on Death: A View From the United States

Assisted suicide is a tragic issue, one of those for which the tools of mere logic are inadequate and in which the power of the individual case is compelling and seductive but not necessarily clarifying. Meaningful dialogue is difficult. Persuasion is limited because the resolution of the issue, on a moral level, must be founded upon fundamental notions of what it means to be human, especially in the midst of suffering or disability or at the point of death.
Modeling and analysis of ZnSe-Ge HBTs

A Gummel-Poon model is developed for ZnSe-Ge-GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). In this structure, undoped Ge spacers are placed at the emitter-base and collector-base junctions. Injected current components as well as bulk, spacer, and space charge recombination current components are modeled. Early voltage and bandgap narrowing effects are included in the model. The device performance was simulated and compared with the experimental results. The paper shows a good agreement between our model and the experimental results. The paper shows also that using spacers would improve the device performance. The advantages of this model is that it is analytical, compact, and can be easily implemented in CAD tool programs to simulate single or double HBTs with similar or dissimilar materials structure for the emitter and collector.
Linear Interference Cancellation for Downlink Map Reception in IEEE 802.16E

Next generation wireless systems, such as the IEEE 802.16e specification, are designed to provide great flexibility in scheduling radio resources on a per frame basis. Such flexibility, coupled with the need to maintain good quality of service (QoS) for cell-edge users can, however, lead to significant control channel overhead especially when using low code rates to maintain cell edge coverage. It is shown here that in interference-limited scenarios dual antenna mobile stations (MS) equipped with interference cancellation (IC) receivers can significantly alleviate this problem. In this study, the performance of a linear MMSE IC receiver is evaluated both at the link level and at the network level. It is shown that a practical IC receiver can achieve link performance gains in the range of 2.5-14 dB over a maximal ratio combining (MRC) receiver in single interferer dominant conditions. Performance at the network level is evaluated using the well-known EESM method to model the link-level performance for OFDM systems, and the introduction of IC receivers at the MS is shown to increase control channel coverage by 10-24% at low codeword repetition factors
Spatial understanding and decision support system: A prototype for public GIS

The idea of public participation GIS involves the use of GIS tools to help laypcople understand the spatial consequences of proposed projects, evaluate alternatives, and create new solutions. The widening use of information networks creates opportunities for making GIS a widely accessible decision-making tool, bypassing the constraints of location and time. This paper presents a prototype software that enables group collaboration across space and time using the Internet infrastructure. The prototype, called Spatial Understanding and Decision Support System (SUDSS), was designed to facilitate a controlled experiment in collaborative group work aimed at solving a realistic land-use planning problem. The paper discusses design considerations for a distributed public GIS and presents the functionality of SUDSS using the example of group participation in developing a land-use zoning plan.
Reevaluating resumption of oral intake after abdominoplasty.

Background Traditional postoperative management of patients undergoing abdominoplasty has involved withholding food until patients demonstrate evidence of bowel activity. No literature exists to support this practice, however, and with the expanding trend toward ambulatory abdominoplasty, early feeding may obviate, at least partially, the need for postoperative hospital admission for intravenous hydration, thereby allowing for faster discharge. Objective We sought to investigate whether early feeding of patients contributed to an increased incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), as well as impacted the return of bowel sounds or the usage of antiemetic medications. Methods Hospital records of the authors' patients who underwent full abdominoplasty with adjunctive suction-assisted lipoplasty were examined. The senior author (A.M.) held patients nil per os (NPO) until bowel sounds were auscultated (group I), whereas the other authors (S.S.J., M.J.O.) began a regimen of feeding immediately after surgery (group II). Results No significant differences in age, gender, or body mass index were present. Operative time was significantly shorter in group I. The incidence of PONV, use of antiemetic medications, and presence of audible bowel sounds on postoperative day 1 did not vary significantly between groups. None of the patients with inaudible bowel sounds in either group experienced PONV. Conclusions Early feeding after abdominoplasty did not lead to an increased incidence of PONV, increased use of antiemetic medications, or delayed return of bowel sounds. In routine abdominoplasties, early feeding may permit patients to sustain adequate hydration and possibly allow for earlier discharge.
A novel active antenna with self-mixing and wideband varactor-tuning capabilities for communication and vehicle identification applications

A cavity-backed, Gunn-diode-driven, self-mixing active inverted stripline circular patch antenna has been developed. The antenna provides good radiation performance with cross-polarization levels 18 dB below copolarization at boresight. The self-mixing performance shows that the circuit has a 2 dB conversion gain for IFs up to 450 MHz and a single-sideband noise figure of 12 dB at 200 MHz. The self-mixing antenna is also capable to mix signals with its second-harmonic, providing a conversion loss of 3.7 dB. Also, a varactor diode has been incorporated with a inverted stripline circular patch active antenna to allow for electronic tuning. A 13% tuning bandwidth with a power variation of 11.0 dB was achieved. A simple equivalent circuit has been used to model the active antenna, and the calculated results agree well with the experimental results. The circuit should have many commercial applications in wireless communications, radar, and sensors, but is particularly suitable for use as a transceiver for short communications links or as a microwave identification transceiver.
Molecular analysis of the soluble butane monooxygenase from 'Pseudomonas butanovora'.

‘Pseudomonas butanovora’ is capable of growth with butane via the oxidation of butane to 1-butanol, which is catalysed by a soluble butane monooxygenase (sBMO). In vitro oxidation of ethylene (an alternative substrate for sBMO) was reconstituted in the soluble portion of cell extracts and was NADH-dependent. Butane monooxygenase was separated into three components which were obligately required for substrate oxidation. The N-terminal sequences of the peptides associated with butane monooxygenase led to the cloning and sequencing of the 5797 nucleotide bmo gene cluster. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequences with other multicomponent monooxygenases suggest that sBMO is a multimeric hydroxylase with 61, 45 and 19 kDa subunits encoded by bmoXYZ, a 40 kDa oxidoreductase encoded by bmoC, and a 15 kDa regulatory protein encoded by bmoB. A sixth structural gene (bmoD) encodes a 9·6 kDa protein with similarity exclusively to mmoD (orfY), a putative metal centre assembly protein of the soluble methane monooxygenases. Insertional inactivation of bmoX resulted in a mutant ‘P. butanovora’ strain incapable of growth with butane. A putative promoter element characteristic of promoters associated with σ54-dependent transcription initiation was located upstream of the bmo genes. Expression of all six genes was detected in butane-induced cells. Butane monooxygenase from ‘P. butanovora’ aligns most closely with non-haem carboxylate-bridged diiron monooxygenases and, moreover, contains the characteristic iron-binding motif. The structural and mechanistic implications of the high sequence identity (up to 64%) between the peptides of butane monooxygenase and methane monooxygenases are discussed.
Counterinsurgency American style: Considering David Petraeus and twenty-first century irregular war

This article examines the complex legacy of David Petraeus who was a key figure in the emergence of the US military shift towards counterinsurgency doctrine in the years after 2006. Although Petraeus has been perceived by critics as a publicity seeker, he can be credited with laying the foundations for a more serious commitment to COIN involving in particular in integrating conventional and Special Forces in arenas like village stability operations. The article looks a Petraeus's role in both Iraq and Afghanistan: it concludes that, in the case of Afghanistan, it is too early to assess whether counterinsurgency has had a decisive impact of the outcome of the war against the Taliban.
EMT knowledge of ambulance traffic laws

Objective. The safe operation of ambulances using warning lights and siren requires both the public and emergency medical technician (EMT) drivers to understand and obey relevant traffic laws. However, EMTs may be unfamiliar with these laws. The purpose of this study was to evaluate EMTs' knowledge of traffic laws related to the operation of ambulances with warning lights and sirens. Methods. North Carolina EMTs participating in a statewide EMS conference October 6–8, 1995, completed a five-question survey. Knowledge of ambulance speed limits, yielding at intersections, yielding in roadways, and following distances was assessed using a multiple-choice format. Demographic data pertaining to EMT age, years of experience, paid vs volunteer status, driver's education courses, and past accident involvement were also obtained. Proportions were compared using chi-square analysis, alpha = 0.05. Results. Two-hundred ninety-three of 308 (95%) EMTs attending the conference completed questionnaires. The median number...
NOBLE GAS ANOMALIES AND SYNTHESIS OF THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS

There are two types of planetary noble gases: One, containing isotopically “anomalous” argon, krypton and xenon but isotopically “normal” helium and neon, was derived from outer stellar regions. The other, consisting almost entirely of isotopically “normal” argon, krypton and xenon, with little or no helium or neon, was derived from inner stellar regions. Mixing of nucleosynthesis products from different regions of a supernova is responsible for the observed correlations between elemental and isotopic ratios of planetary noble gases in different classes of meteorites. The solar system condensed directly from the chemically and isotopically heterogeneous debris of a single supernova. There is no convincing evidence, however, of separate nucleogenetic components in neon. Fractionation and spallation can account for all previously identified components of trapped meteoritic neon, Ne-A, Ne-B, Ne-C, Ne-D, Ne-E, Ne-Al, Ne-A2, Ne-E(L), Ne-E(H) and Ne-O, and this same mechanism also explains differences between the isotopic compositions of meteoritic, atmospheric, and solar wind neon. Variations in the abundance pattern of planetary noble gases are primarily the result of stellar fusion reactions and physical adsorption, rather than gas solubility.
Plant pigments as biomarkers of high-molecular-weight dissolved organic carbon

We used plant pigments as tracers of high-molecular-weight dissolved organic C (HMW DOC) ( 1,000 Da). Water samples were collected from four stations along a transect on cruises in June 1992 and January 1993 in the Gulf of Mexico. Samples were also collected from three stations on the continental shelf of Cape Hatteras for comparison. Chlorophylls a and b were at detectable levels in HMW DOC ; concentrations of the carotenoids zeaxanthin and fucoxanthin in HMW DOC indicated that cyanobacteria, prochlorophytes, and diatoms contributed to the total HMW DOC pool across the continental margin in the gulf. The extremely low concentrations ofpheopigments (except for chlorophyllide) in particulate organic C and HMW DOC suggested that direct exudation from phytoplankton and sloppy feeding by zooplankton were the major mechanisms of release. However, significant and selective pigment loss, due to light and thermal degradation in the reservoir, did occur in the absence of any cooling or light-shielding precautions. This study demonstrated that pigments can be used to acquire qualitative information on the sources of HMW DOC and to gain insight on its relative age-based on pigment turnover.
Dynamic modeling of rotational motion of carbon nanotubes for intelligent manufacturing of CNT-based devices

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are good candidates for many electronics and sensing applications. These applications will require moving (deposit) and orienting carbon nanotubes to specific location, and separating CNTs with semiconducting and metallic band structure. In this paper, a new mathematical model describing precisely the rotational motion of carbon nanotubes in viscous medium (acetone) is presented. This new mathematical model correctly assumes that carbon nanotubes form a line shape after undergoing AC electric field compare to existing model that assumes carbon nanotubes to be a spherical particle. The new mathematical model is based on a newly developed model for applied torque due to electrorotation. It is also a method for controlled assembly of the CNTs on microstructures that have the plausibility to be scaled to wafer- level manufacturing. Simulation results are presented for the developed models. The developed model can be used to detect the position of carbon nanotubes and further implemented in the separation of semiconducting and metallic band structure carbon nanotubes.
Literacy, Speech and Shame: The Cultural Politics of Literacy and Language in Brazil.

This article examines the relationship between shame, literacy and social relations by analyzing shame narratives told to the author by youth and adult literacy students during a 24‐month ethnographic research project conducted in two Brazilian cities. Employing Bourdieu’s theoretical framework and literature from the anthropology of emotions, the article asks: What is accomplished through the micropolitics of shaming? What can it teach us about theories of literacy, language and power more broadly? The article shows how speech shaming in Brazil contributed to the cultural production of inequality by individualizing, psychologizing and embodying responsibility or blame for illiteracy. It argues that sociocultural theories of literacy, language and power need to account for the influence of emotions in communicative interactions.
Evolution of SET-domain protein families in the unicellular and multicellular Ascomycota fungi

The evolution of multicellularity is accompanied by the occurrence of differentiated tissues, of organismal developmental programs, and of mechanisms keeping the balance between proliferation and differentiation. Initially, the SET-domain proteins were associated exclusively with regulation of developmental genes in metazoa. However, finding of SET-domain genes in the unicellular yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe suggested that SET-domain proteins regulate a much broader variety of biological programs. Intuitively, it is expected that the numbers, types, and biochemical specificity of SET-domain proteins of multicellular versus unicellular forms would reflect the differences in their biology. However, comparisons across the unicellular and multicellular domains of life are complicated by the lack of knowledge of the ancestral SET-domain genes. Even within the crown group, different biological systems might use the epigenetic 'code' differently, adapting it to organism-specific needs. Simplifying the model, we undertook a systematic phylogenetic analysis of one monophyletic fungal group (Ascomycetes) containing unicellular yeasts, Saccharomycotina (hemiascomycetes), and a filamentous fungal group, Pezizomycotina (euascomycetes). Systematic analysis of the SET-domain genes across an entire eukaryotic phylum has outlined clear distinctions in the SET-domain gene collections in the unicellular and in the multicellular (filamentous) relatives; diversification of SET-domain gene families has increased further with the expansion and elaboration of multicellularity in animal and plant systems. We found several ascomycota-specific SET-domain gene groups; each was unique to either Saccharomycotina or Pezizomycotina fungi. Our analysis revealed that the numbers and types of SET-domain genes in the Saccharomycotina did not reflect the habitats, pathogenicity, mechanisms of sexuality, or the ability to undergo morphogenic transformations. However, novel genes have appeared for functions associated with the transition to multicellularity. Descendents of most of the SET-domain gene families found in the filamentous fungi could be traced in the genomes of extant animals and plants, albeit as more complex structural forms. SET-domain genes found in the filamentous species but absent from the unicellular sister group reflect two alternative evolutionary events: deletion from the yeast genomes or appearance of novel structures in filamentous fungal groups. There were no Ascomycota-specific SET-domain gene families (i.e., absent from animal and plant genomes); however, plants and animals share SET-domain gene subfamilies that do not exist in the fungi. Phylogenetic and gene-structure analyses defined several animal and plant SET-domain genes as sister groups while those of fungal origin were basal to them. Plants and animals also share SET-domain subfamilies that do not exist in fungi.
Characteristics of soluble gonadotropin receptors for LH and HCG.

In order initiate studies on the molecular properties of the gonadotropin receptor sites for luteinizing hormone, subcellular fractions of testis and ovarian homogenates with specific binding affinity for LH and hCG have been treated with non-ionic deter­gents such as ‘Triton X-100’ and ‘Lubrol’ to obtain “solubilized” receptor preparations which are suitable for binding studies and physico-chemical characterization (1–3).
Clustering Retrieved Web Documents to Speed Up Web Searches

Current web search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, rank the set of documents S retrieved in response to a user query and display the URL of each document D in S with a title and a snippet, which serves as an abstract of D. Snippets, however, are not as useful as they are designed for, which is supposed to assist its users to quickly identify results of interest, if they exist. These snippets fail to (i) provide distinct information and (ii) capture the main contents of the corresponding documents. Moreover, when the intended information need specified in a search query is ambiguous, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for a search engine to identify precisely the set of documents that satisfy the user’s intended request without requiring additional inputs. Furthermore, a document title is not always a good indicator of the content of the corresponding document. All of these design problems can be solved by our proposed query-based cluster and labeler, called QClus. QClus generates concise clusters of documents covering various subject areas retrieved in response to a user query, which saves the user’s time and effort in searching for specific information of interest without having to browse through the documents one by one. Experimental results show that QClus is effective and efficient in generating high-quality clusters of documents on specific topics with informative labels.
Goodpasture’s Disease: An Uncommon Disease With an Atypical Clinical Course

Goodpasture’s disease is an uncommon composite of features including renal failure with pulmonary hemorrhage secondary to an autoimmune response that specifically targets these organ systems. We present a case of particular interest in regards to atypical presentation, and the uncommon treatment that the patient underwent. A 65-year-old Afghani female arrived with complaints of nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, malaise, decreased urine output, exertional dyspnea, and cough. The patient presented initially with renal failure and unexpectedly developed respiratory failure after hemodialysis. Initial CT of thorax revealed diffuse bilateral pulmonary edema. Subsequently, the patient received a bronchoscopy demonstrating alveolar hemorrhage, which highlights a clinician’s need to maintain a differential and reassess patients. Anti-GBM antibody in the serum was detected and the renal biopsy revealed evidence of the antibody on immunofluorescence. In regards to management, the patient could only be treated with plasmapheresis as she had contraindication to initiation of immunosuppression, after which she showed significant clinical improvement. We would like to highlight the benefit of plasmapheresis without concomitant immunosuppression and recommend such an approach to be considered in similar clinical scenarios, where contraindication for immunosuppressant therapy exists.
Current Perspectives on Clinical Studies of PTSD in Japan

This chapter provides a brief overview of recent Japanese clinical investigations on psychological trauma that have been conducted in affiliation with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry and the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW). The studies focus on two main aspects of posttraumatic stress reaction: general human responses to traumatic events and the clinical nature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The first aspect involves the diversity of human responses to the event and individual sociodemographic backgrounds, whereas the second deals with the commonality of traumatic reactions. The main focus of the discussion is on the diversity of human traumatic responses and there is also a brief overview of recent studies on the nature and treatment of PTSD.
Disparity vergence responses before versus after repetitive vergence therapy in binocularly normal controls

This study sought to determine whether significant changes would be observed between vergence eye movements before and after 12 hr of repetitive vergence therapy (1 hr per day on different days) in subjects with normal binocular vision compared to controls. Disparity vergence responses from 23 subjects were studied. An assessment protocol that minimized the influence of the near dissociated phoria on the disparity vergence system was designed. The following parameters were quantified for the responses: latency, time to peak velocity, settling time, peak velocity, and accuracy (difference between the response and stimulus amplitudes). The following outcomes were observed when comparing the results after vergence therapy to the baseline measurements: (a) near point of convergence and near dissociated phoria did not significantly change (p > 0.15); (b) latency, time to peak velocity, and settling time significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.01); and (c) accuracy significantly improved (p < 0.01). Results support that vergence peak velocity is dependent on the subject's near dissociated phoria. The accuracy and temporal properties of vergence eye movement responses from subjects with normal binocular vision can be improved after vergence therapy. These methods can be utilized within future studies to quantitatively assess vergence therapy techniques for patients with binocular dysfunction.
Vasectomy and risk of lethal prostate cancer: A 24-year prospective study.

5086 Background: In the United States, 10 to 15 percent of adult men have undergone a vasectomy. There is conflicting evidence whether vasectomy is associated with increased prostate cancer risk. M...
New developments in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: considerations for the effective use of dalbavancin

Dalbavancin, an intravenous glycopeptide, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in May 2014 for use in adult patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. The recommended dosing regimen for effective use of dalbavancin is 1,000 mg followed by a 500 mg dose after 1 week. Two multinational, identically designed, non-inferiority trials, DISCOVER 1 and 2, demonstrated similar early clinical success with dalbavancin compared to vancomycin with an option to switch to oral linezolid. In a recently published non-inferiority trial, a single-dose regimen of dalbavancin was compared to the traditional two-dose administration and was found to have a non-inferior clinical response. In the aforementioned trials, dalbavancin was well tolerated, with patients experiencing transient adverse events of mild to moderate severity. The prolonged half-life, excellent skin and soft tissue penetration, bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and convenient dosing make dalbavancin a reasonable option for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections in adult patients who have tried and failed other therapies.
Plasmodium falciparum ookinete expression of plasmepsin VII and plasmepsin X

Plasmodium invasion of the mosquito midgut is a population bottleneck in the parasite lifecycle. Interference with molecular mechanisms by which the ookinete invades the mosquito midgut is one potential approach to developing malaria transmission-blocking strategies. Plasmodium aspartic proteases are one such class of potential targets: plasmepsin IV (known to be present in the asexual stage food vacuole) was previously shown to be involved in Plasmodium gallinaceum infection of the mosquito midgut, and plasmepsins VII and plasmepsin X (not known to be present in the asexual stage food vacuole) are upregulated in Plasmodium falciparum mosquito stages. These (and other) parasite-derived enzymes that play essential roles during ookinete midgut invasion are prime candidates for transmission-blocking vaccines. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) was used to determine timing of P. falciparum plasmepsin VII (PfPM VII) and plasmepsin X (PfPM X) mRNA transcripts in parasite mosquito midgut stages. Protein expression was confirmed by western immunoblot and immunofluorescence assays (IFA) using anti-peptide monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against immunogenic regions of PfPM VII and PfPM X. These antibodies were also used in standard membrane feeding assays (SMFA) to determine whether inhibition of these proteases would affect parasite transmission to mosquitoes. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyse mosquito transmission assay results. RT-PCR, western immunoblot and immunofluorescence assay confirmed expression of PfPM VII and PfPM X in mosquito stages. Whereas PfPM VII was expressed in zygotes and ookinetes, PfPM X was expressed in gametes, zygotes, and ookinetes. Antibodies against PfPM VII and PfPM X decreased P. falciparum invasion of the mosquito midgut when used at high concentrations, indicating that these proteases play a role in Plasmodium mosquito midgut invasion. Failure to generate genetic knockouts of these genes limited determination of the precise role of these proteases in parasite transmission but suggests that they are essential during the intraerythrocytic life cycle. PfPM VII and PfPM X are present in the mosquito-infective stages of P. falciparum. Standard membrane feeding assays demonstrate that antibodies against these proteins reduce the infectivity of P. falciparum for mosquitoes, suggesting their viability as transmission-blocking vaccine candidates. Further study of the role of these plasmepsins in P. falciparum biology is warranted.
A Case Study of the Exodus of Labor from Agriculture: Minnesota

The reduction in the quantity of labor available to agriculture has been a topic of substantial interest. This article focuses on factors affecting the rate of reduction in the labor force, with particular attention to income as an influential variable. The study differs from others in the form of the models and in the type of data (county) used in testing them. The most interesting finding is that those in farm work were responsive to income differences, as neoclassical economic theory suggests, but that their response was not dramatic.
Isoproterenol-induced diuresis in turkeys.

SummaryThe isoproterenol-induced diuresis in turkeys is associated with an increase in CCr and CH2O. The effect is probably mediated, in part, by β-adrenergic receptors in the afferent arteriole which lead either to recruitment of reptilian-type nephrons or more filtration by individual neph-rons. In other respects the effects of isopro-terenol in turkeys resembles those known to occur in mammals.
Cell division and phagocytic activity in liver reticulo-endothelial cells.

SummaryRadioautographs of liver sections from mice given tritiated thymidine were used to identify the cells which were preparing for division and colloidal saccharated iron oxide was used to identify the active phagocytic cells. In livers of mice whose reticulo-endothelial system was stimulated by estradiol, it was established that the cells preparing for division and those which had recently divided were actively phagocytic. In livers of mice whose reticulo-endothelial system had been “blockaded” with saccharated iron oxide, it was established that the cells which had phagocytized colloid were able to divide in the process of recovery from “blockade.” No evidence was found for a stem cell which proliferates and differentiates to provide the active phagocytic population.
A Survey of the Discomycete Flora of the Olympic National Park and Adjacent Areas

(1947). A Survey of the Discomycete Flora of the Olympic National Park and Adjacent Areas. Mycologia: Vol. 39, No. 6, pp. 635-689.
Formation of sclerotia in liquid cultures of Coprinus congregatus and their phenoloxidase isozymes

Agitated liquid cultures of basidiomycetes typically produce populations of variably sized, undifferentiated mycelial pellets. We have discovered that cultural or contaminant stress may induce such liquid cultures to form sclerotia in the mycelial pellets. Formation of the multicellular sclerotia was associated with developmentally regulated synthesis of two different types of phenoloxidases, both present in more than one isozymic form. These phenoloxidases are electrophoretically distinct from the phenoloxidases previously reported to be involved in the initial events in the photomorphogenesis of primordia. The "sclerotial" phenoloxidases may be involved in the regulation of three-dimensional multicellular initiation.
Purification of the Leaching Liquid from the Boron-Rich Slags by the Alkaline Leaching Method Under Ordinary Pressure and the Preparation of Borax

Based on the alkaline leaching method under ordinary pressure, the generation,removal mechanism and effects of the impurities in the boron leaching liquid were investigated,using Na OH as sodium treatment reagent and boron-rich slags as rawmaterials. Phase compositions and the morphologies of the precipitates after the purification and crystallization products of borax were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results indicated that the primary impurities in the boron leaching liquid were Ca2 +and Si4 +impurity. The removal effect with Na HCO3 for Ca2 +was obvious and the optimal amount of Na HCO3 was 3 g. There was great effect of the p H value of the leaching liquid on the removal of Si4 +when the p H value was 9. 0,the removal rate of Si4 +reached its maximum value of 99%. Thus "one-step method " purified technology which combines the process of removing Ca2 +and Si4 +impurity was achieved and with great removal efficiency. Well-crystallized borax was obtained from the purified leaching liquid after treatments of evaporation and concentration.
Pediatric forearm fractures with in situ intramedullary implants

Purpose The purpose of this investigation is to present our institutional experience with fractures of the pediatric forearm with in situ intramedullary nails.
Automated construction of maximally localized Wannier functions for bands with nontrivial topology

Wannier functions provide a useful description of the electronic states in a crystal, providing a chemical picture for the bonding structure of a material, in addition to applications in computational materials science. Topological insulators are an interesting class of materials with spin-polarized conducting surface states alongside an insulating bulk. To date, constructing Wannier functions for topological insulators has proven difficult, relying on an educated guess for the trial orbitals or requiring the system to be parameterized in order to tune between the normal and topological phase. The authors have developed an automated approach within the optimized projection functions method for constructing localized Wannier functions for topologically nontrivial bands. They demonstrate the method on a two-dimensional tight-binding model, a strong three-dimensional topological insulator, and finally, the prototypical topological insulating material Bi${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$. They find that the Wannier functions contain large imaginary components and are more extended than those in the topologically trivial phase.
A preliminary environmental assessment of foil and metallized film centered laminates

Abstract This study investigated the potential environmental impacts of three industrial used barrier films, namely, aluminum foil, metallized oriented polypropylene (MOPP) and metallized polyethylene terephthalate (MPET). These three materials are the most commonly used barrier materials in flexible packaging applications. But little to no data is available to compare the environment impact between these three high-volume and fast-moving materials. With the use of SimaPro 8, the environmental impacts of three laminates, centered with aluminum foil, MOPP and MPET, were assessed over the raw material, processing, and end of life phases. The use phase was assessed in part to facilitate recommendation and interpretations. Compared to the aluminum foil centered laminate, the metallized polymer centered laminates reduced impact to metal depletion by 71% for the MOPP laminate and 52% for the MPET laminate. Fossil depletion was reduced by 21% for both metallized polymer laminates and global warming potential is half that of the aluminum foil laminate. Non-renewable embodied energy was reduced by 25–26% compared to foil. The findings will help food and flexible packaging companies visualize environment impacts of the three barrier alternatives in addition to performance and cost.
Peer Influence on Attrition in Massively Open Online Courses.

In this work, we investigate the role of relational bonds in keeping students engaged in online courses. Specifically, we quantify the manner in which students who demonstrate similar behavior patterns influence each other’s commitment to the course through their interaction with them either explicitly or implicitly. To this end, we design five alternative operationalizations of relationship bonds, which together allow us to infer a scaled measure of relationship between pairs of students. Using this, we construct three variables, namely number of significant bonds, number of significant bonds with people who have dropped out in the previous week, and number of such bonds with people who have dropped in the current week. Using a survival analysis, we are able to measure the prediction strength of these variables with respect to dropout at each time point. Results indicate that higher numbers of significant bonds predicts lower rates of dropout; while loss of significant bonds is associated with higher rates of dropout.
Good News, Bad News, but Not Fake News.

Articles, see p 1388 and p 1397 The good news is that oncologists have done a great job treating breast cancer. The bad news is that cardiovascular disease is emerging as the most important competing mortality risk in women with early stage breast cancer.1 It is sobering for a cardiologist to see a patient losing the battle to heart disease after winning it against cancer. In this issue of Circulation , 2 important articles are published, adding to our understanding of heart failure as a result of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the breast cancer survivor. We have known since the late 1960s the relationship between anthracycline dose and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) reduction and the development of the heart failure (HF) syndrome.2 More recently, our group and others have studied the relationship of new parameters, such as global longitudinal strain and ventriculo-arterial coupling, reporting on early outcomes at 6 to 12 months.3–5 However, we have lacked data on the impact of these parameters at longer follow-ups. At the end of the day, the million dollar question is whether the change in these parameters actually impacts relevant outcomes, such as the downstream development of heart failure, increased mortality, or reduced quality of life. The article published by Narayan et al6 is the first to report outcomes at 3 years after comprehensive characterization of changes in left ventricular structure, function and ventriculo-arterial coupling in patients with breast cancer receiving doxorubicin or trastuzumab. The first message to take home from this study is that anthracyclines do not appear to be leaving the oncology toolkit anytime soon, having been used in 82% of the patients, either alone or in combination with trastuzumab. Interestingly, the decline in LVEF at 1 year was similar in patients receiving doxorubicin …
Comment: Do Something or Do Nothing—the Fisheries Management Conundrum

Thompson et al. (2016) proffer a critique of the wild adult Florida Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus stocking program at Lake Griffin (2004–2007) and Lake Dora (2007–2010) in Florid...
Microfluidic platform for efficient Nanodisc assembly, membrane protein incorporation, and purification

The characterization of integral membrane proteins presents numerous analytical challenges on account of their poor activity under non-native conditions, limited solubility in aqueous solutions, and low expression in most cell culture systems. Nanodiscs are synthetic model membrane constructs that offer many advantages for studying membrane protein function by offering a native-like phospholipid bilayer environment. The successful incorporation of membrane proteins within Nanodiscs requires experimental optimization of conditions. Standard protocols for Nanodisc formation can require large amounts of time and input material, limiting the facile screening of formation conditions. Capitalizing on the miniaturization and efficient mass transport inherent to microfluidics, we have developed a microfluidic platform for efficient Nanodisc assembly and purification, and demonstrated the ability to incorporate functional membrane proteins into the resulting Nanodiscs. In addition to working with reduced sample volumes, this platform simplifies membrane protein incorporation from a multi-stage protocol requiring several hours or days into a single platform that outputs purified Nanodiscs in less than one hour. To demonstrate the utility of this platform, we incorporated Cytochrome P450 into Nanodiscs of variable size and lipid composition, and present spectroscopic evidence for the functional active site of the membrane protein. This platform is a promising new tool for membrane protein biology and biochemistry that enables tremendous versatility for optimizing the incorporation of membrane proteins using microfluidic gradients to screen across diverse formation conditions.
A large benign phyllodes tumour of the breast: A case report and literature review.

Abstract Introduction Phyllodes tumours are uncommon fibroepithelial lesions that typically grow up to 4 cm in size but 10 cm tumours known as giant phyllodes tumours have been described. We present a case report of a 20 cm benign phyllodes tumour and a literature review. Presentation of case A 54 years old lady with an enlarging left breast mass measuring 20 cm of 6 months duration presented to our outpatient breast clinic. She also had an incidental right parotid lump. Core biopsy of the left breast mass returned as a cellular fibroepithelial lesion. A mastectomy and axillary lymph node sampling were done and skin cover was obtained from a split skin graft from the thigh. Final histology returned as a benign phyllodes tumour. Her post-operative recovery was uneventful. Discussion Phyllodes tumours are suspected in middle age women with rapidly enlarging painless breast masses. Though there are some suggestive features on ultrasound and MRI, the key to diagnosis is still histopathology. However, a pre-operative diagnosis may not always be possible as the interpretation of stromal cellularity and degree of atypia needed to differentiate cellular fibroadenoma from a phyllodes tumour is subjective. When a phyllodes tumour is suspected, adequate margins should be taken for optimal outcome. Conclusion Successful management of phyllodes tumour involves obtaining a pre-operative diagnosis via a core biopsy when possible and planning for adequate margins.
Neurosurgical Applications of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound with Magnetic Resonance Thermometry

Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) has potential noninvasive effects on targeted tissue. MRgFUS integrates MRI and focused ultrasound surgery (FUS) into a single platform. MRI enables visualization of the target tissue and monitors ultrasound-induced effects in near real-time during FUS treatment. MRgFUS may serve as an adjunct or replace invasive surgery and radiotherapy for specific conditions. Its thermal effects ablate tumors in locations involved in movement disorders and essential tremors. Its nonthermal effects increase blood-brain barrier permeability to enhance delivery of therapeutics and other molecules.
Non-Schmid effects and finite wavelength instabilities in single crystal metals

Abstract A long standing postulate in crystal plasticity of metals, known as Schmid law, states that yielding commences once the resolved shear stress on a slip plane reaches a critical value. While non-Schmid effects have previously been reported experimentally (mostly in alloys) and in molecular-dynamics simulations, we examine the validity of this assumption through phonon stability analysis. We subject four distinct single crystal metals to a combined shear-hydrostatic deformation and identify the onset of plasticity with the onset of an instability. We find significant shear-normal coupling in single crystal metals, reflecting non-Schmid effects in defect nucleation. Also, it is a widespread assumption in the literature (Liu et al., 2010; Van Vliet et al., 2003) that the instabilities in single crystal metals are of long wavelength. In contrast, we show that short wavelength instabilities are abundant. Our results illustrate the potential pitfalls of relying on the widely used elastic stability analysis for investigating defect nucleation.
Magnetic Properties of Fe/Topological Insulator/Fe Multilayer Films and Nano-columns

Tri-layer thin films of Ferromagnet (FM)/ Topological Insulator (TI) IFerromagnet (FM) were synthesized using magnetron DC/ RF sputtering with Bi 2 Te3 and Bi 2 Se 3 topological insulators as middle buffer layers. The multi-layered samples thus produced was studied using in-house built magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) instrument, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), torque magnetometer (TMM), atomic and magnetic force microscopy (AFM / MFM), and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). This system, that is FM/Insulator/FM on MgO (100) substrates, is a tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) structure often used in magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices. The Fe layer and MgO substrate makes the Fe film act like a free standing Fe monolayer weak interaction between the Fe layer and MgO substrate makes the Fe film act like a free-standing layer, with enhanced magnetic moment [1], [2]. TMR effect is a method by which MTJs are used in developing magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM), magnetic sensors, and novel logic devices. The main purpose behind this research is to measure the magnetic symmetry of Fe/TI/Fe structure and compare and contrast with the magnetic symmetry of multilayer films and nano-columns. In this presentation, we will present results from MOKE, VSM, TMM, AFM/MFM and FMR studies of Fe/TI/Fe.