cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exchange rate volatility and US commodity trade with the rest of the world

Exchange rate volatility is argued to affect the trade flows negatively and positively. Indeed, empirical studies that have addressed the issue have supported both effects. These studies have used aggregate trade flows data either between one country and the rest of the world or between two countries at the bilateral level. Studies that have disaggregated trade data by industry are rare. Thus, we extend the literature by looking at the experiences of 66 American industries that trade with the rest of the world using monthly data. In most cases, trade flows are not affected by GARCH‐based volatility of the real effective exchange rate of the dollar.
Cortical local circuit axons do not mature after early deafferentation.

Abstract The processes underlying development, refinement, and retention of the intracortical connections critical for the function of the mammalian brain are unknown. Horseradish peroxidase-labeled fibers in mouse somatosensory barrel cortex, which is patterned like the whiskers on the contralateral face from which it receives inputs, were evaluated by automated image analysis. The sensory nerve to the whiskers was sectioned on postnatal day 7, after the whisker map is set. The deprived barrel cortices, examined in adults, showed drastically diminished intracortical projections relative to normal controls, although the map of the whiskers in the cortex was unchanged. This demonstrates anatomically that the normal pattern of intracortical connections, like the normal sensory map, is dependent upon the sensory periphery four synapses away.
Fungal infections in oncology patients: update on epidemiology, prevention, and treatment.

Purpose of reviewFungal infections that occur after hematopoietic stem cell transplant and therapies for hematologic malignancies contribute to poor outcomes. In the recent year, studies have focused on updating epidemiologic data, providing an understanding of immunogenetic risks for infection, and
Local times of major earthquakes in coastal regions

Limited data on major earthquakes near coastlines show these occur in the morning. This implies that the solar position has a possible role in contributing to coastal quakes. Several quakes are listed by location, local time of quake, and lunar phase. Satellite-borne remote sensors now assessing volcanoes and other remote sensors may have potential in anticipating locations of major earthquakes.
Utilization of Recycled and Waste Materials in Various Construction Applications

More production equals more waste, more waste creates environmental concerns of toxic threat. An economical viable solution to this problem should include utilization of waste materials for new products which in turn minimize the heavy burden on the nation’s landfills. Recycling of waste construction materials saves natural resources, saves energy, reduces solid waste, reduces air and water pollutants and reduces greenhouse gases. The construction industry can start being aware of and take advantage of the benefits of using waste and recycled materials. Studies have investigated the use of acceptable waste, recycled and reusable materials and methods. The use of swine manure, animal fat, silica fume, roofing shingles, empty palm fruit bunch, citrus peels, cement kiln dust, fly ash, foundry sand, slag, glass, plastic, carpet, tire scraps, asphalt pavement and concrete aggregate in construction is becoming increasingly popular due to the shortage and increasing cost of raw materials. In this study a questionnaire survey targeting experts from construction industry was conducted in order to investigate the current practices of the uses of waste and recycled materials in the construction industry. This study presents an initial understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of the practice intended to support construction industry in developing effective policies regarding uses of waste and recycled materials as construction materials.
Geographical Limitations of Neo-liberalism: Urban Planning and the Occluded Territoriality of Informal Survival in African Cape Town

Abstract Urban political geography lacks theoretical work on the territoriality of the informal economy, notwithstanding the empirical significance of informal city-building all around the world. With reference to the hypothesis of growing neo-liberalism in post-apartheid cities, this paper explores the territoriality of informal-sector governance in Cape Town, using a theorisation that foregrounds place/space dialectics. An analysis is offered of informal-sector practices and the administrative strategies of the local state, particularly the urban planning system. While support for the neo-liberal hypothesis is presented, the paper argues for the geographical limitations of neo-liberalism as a territorial strategy of the post-apartheid state.
Apartheid on Display: South Africa Performs for New York

In the metropolitan context, South African theater has largely been promoted and received as dramatic testimony to the antiapartheid struggle. Created and performed under particular local condition...
Kinematic analysis of fractures in the Great Rift, Idaho: Implications for subsurface dike geometry, crustal extension, and magma dynamics

[1] Extension across the southern Great Rift of the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), Idaho, was measured to calculate the dimensions of underlying dikes and interpret magmatic and extensional processes. Cumulative rift-perpendicular extension ranges from 0.64 to 4.50 m along the 14 km long Kings Bowl segment, from 1.33 to 4.41 m along the 14 km long New Butte segment, and from 0.74 to 1.57 m along the 4 km long Minidoka segment. Along strike of each segment, extension increases toward coeval vents. Each rift segment is interpreted to be underlain by a subsurface dike, whose dimensions are calculated using buoyancy equilibrium and boundary element models. Dikes are calculated to have tops that are 950–530 m deep, bottoms that are 23–31 km deep, and widths that taper to zero from a maximum of 2–21 m. Modeling suggests that the Kings Bowl dike has a maximum probable width of ∼8 m and a volume of ∼2 km3, about 400 times the volume of its coeval lava flow. Dike widths and ages at the southern Great Rift provide evidence for a Holocene ESRP strain rate of about 1 to 3 × 10−16 s−1, which is as much as an order of magnitude slower than strain rates in the adjacent, seismically active Basin and Range province. Eruptive fissures are present where rift width is <1650 m. This corresponds to a depth to dike top of <700 m, which we propose was the depth where vesiculation initiated, thus increasing magma pressure and inducing eruption.
Development and Evaluation of a Habitat Rating System for Low‐Gradient Wisconsin Streams

Abstract Most existing habitat indices and models have been developed for medium- to high-gradient streams and, therefore, tend to undervalue low-gradient streams. We analyzed physical habitat and fish community biotic integrity data from 50 low-gradient stream stations to develop a habitat rating index for the assessment of low-gradient streams in Wisconsin. Low-gradient stations were defined as having gradients of 3 m/km or lower and less than 5% of their length as riffles. Of 43 habitat variables considered, we selected 7 for use in the index: percent channelization, channelization age, percent instream cover, percent bank erosion, sinuosity, standard deviation of thalweg depth, and percent buffer vegetation. Based on a multiple-regression analysis, channelization age and percent instream cover were given greater weight in the index than the other five variables. Habitat index values explained 58% of the variation in index of biotic integrity (IBI) scores among the 50 stations used to develop the index...
Voles, vasopressin, and infidelity: a molecular basis for monogamy, a platform for ethics, and more?

Voles are attracting attention because genetic variation at a single locus appears to have a profound impact on a complex social behavior, namely monogamy. After briefly reviewing the state of the most relevant scientific literature, I examine the way that this research gets taken up by the popular media, by scientists, and by the notable philosopher of neuroscience Patricia Churchland and interpreted as having deeply revisionary implications for how we ordinarily understand ourselves as persons. We have all these big questions we would like to resolve about free will, consciousness, our understanding of persons, and the nature of morality and there is a tendency to ask more of neuroscience than it can yet answer. I do not deny that advances in neuroscience may eventually bear on important philosophical issues. However, it is not at all clear that this research has many of the sweeping implications being claimed for it and, in communicating science responsibly to the public, there is reason to be cautious about suggesting that it does.
Interference methods in the testing and fabrication of new-design grazing incidence gratings.

Recent work in the design of soft X-ray and extreme UV spectrographs has identified a new class of reflection gratings whose aberrations do not increase at grazing incidence. To achieve this characteristic, the groove spacings are varied in a continuous manner across a plano grating aperture. Ray traces of the concentric groove grating, the oriental fan grating and variations illustrate their potential for space astronomy and laboratory applications in the wavelength range of approximately λλ10-1000 A. Both straight-groove and concentric-groove patterns have been successfully fabricated with varied line spacings through mechanical ruling techniques. A concave varied line-space grating has been measured to achieve 70% of its theoretical efficiency in the extreme UV. An interferometric method of fabrication is also discussed, in which the recording wavelength is scaled-up into the far UV or even visible region of the spectrum. This holographic grating is designated "Type V." Two interferometers capable of recording grating wavefront aberrations in the extreme UV and soft X-ray are proposed.
Effects of boron on the microstructure and thermal stability of directionally solidified NiAl-Mo eutectic

Abstract Microalloying with 0.01 at.% B decreases the range of growth speeds over which a well-aligned fibrous eutectic microstructure can be obtained in directionally solidified NiAl–Mo. Compared to the undoped alloy, the size/spacing of the Mo fibers is larger, and the fiber density smaller, in the B-doped alloy. Annealing at 1400 °C coarsens the fibers by a mechanism involving fault migration and annihilation driven by diffusion along the fiber–matrix interface. The coarsening kinetics, given by the decrease in Mo fiber density with time, is exponential, and microalloying with B decreases the coarsening rate.
Evaluation and management of bilateral renal artery stenosis in children: a case series and review.

This report describes the clinical course, diagnostic evaluation and management of six children with bilateral renal artery stenosis (RAS) and concurrent narrowing of the abdominal aorta. Except for one child with active arteritis, the others were asymptomatic. There were no clinical or laboratory features suggesting the etiology of hypertension in four of six patients, and diagnostic procedures, including Doppler duplex ultrasound and captopril scintigraphy, were unreliable in screening for such hypertension. Abdominal aortography and selective renal angiography confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral RAS and associated anatomical alterations of the aorta and its branches. The hypertension was severe and minimally responsive to antihypertensive agents. It was cured or improved after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of three vessels in two children with mid-vessel stenoses, while hypertension persisted after PTA of two mid-vessel stenoses in a third child and one vessel with ostium stenosis in a fourth child. Autotransplantation of seven kidneys in four children resulted in cure or significant improvement of the hypertension. Renal function was preserved in all children during a mean follow-up time of 41 months. Based on illustrative data from these six children, as well as information from a review of the literature, this report discusses the key diagnostic issues and stresses the potential advantages of renal autotransplantation in selected children with this disorder.
Clonal development of myeloproliferative disorders: clues to hematopoietic differentiation and multistep pathogenesis of cancer

In November 1996, word reached the University of Washington that Philip Fialkow and his wife, Helen, had died while trekking in Nepal. Over a 30-year period, Dr Fialkow and his colleagues used the cellular mosaicism resulting from X-chromosome inactivation in females as a marker system to investigate the clonal development of human hematopoietic disorders. This review discusses the impact that these studies have had on our understanding of hematopoietic stem cell relationships and the pathogenesis of human neoplasia in general. To appreciate the special role played by studies on clonality, it is necessary to consider how little was known about the origin of leukemias and myeloproliferative disorders and the limited techniques available for their study in the early to mid 1960s. Dr Fialkow and his coworkers were the first to show that myeloproliferative disorders and acute myelogenous leukemias (AML) are clonal diseases at the time of diagnosis and to elucidate the level of differentiation manifested by the originating cell type. Although the myelodysplastic disorders were found to involve a pluripotent stem cell, heterogeneity was found in the level of stem cell involvement in AML. Evidence was obtained to support a multistep pathogenesis of these diseases as well as a clonal but cytogenetically normal stage in some cases of Ph-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia, AML, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and myelodysplasia.
Antioxidants, HIF Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitors or Short Interfering RNAs to BNIP3 or PUMA, Can Prevent Prodeath Effects of the Transcriptional Activator, HIF-1α, in a Mouse Hippocampal Neuronal Line

Abstract Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a transcriptional activator that promotes death or survival in neurons. The regulators and targets of HIF-1α–mediated death remain unclear. We found that prodeath effects of HIF-1 are not attributable to an imbalance in HIF-1α and HIF-1β expression. Rather, the synergistic death caused by oxidative stress and by overexpression of an oxygen-resistant HIF-VP16 in neuroblasts was attributable to transcriptional upregulation of BH3-only prodeath proteins, PUMA or BNIP3. By contrast, overexpression of BNIP3 was not sufficient to potentiate oxidative death. As acidosis is known to activate BNIP3-mediated death, we examined other secondary stresses, such as oxidants or prolyl hydroxylase activity are necessary for exposing the prodeath functions of HIF in neurons. Antioxidants or prolyl hydroxylase inhibition prevented potentiation of death by HIF-1α. Together, these studies suggest that antioxidants and PHD inhibitors abrogate the ability of HIF-mediated transactivatio...
Growth of diamond by sequential deposition and etching process using hot filament CVD

Abstract High quality diamond films with enhanced growth rates have been grown by a sequential deposition and etching process using the hot filament CVD method. A computer is used to control the switching between a cycle of high methane-content gas mixture diluted with hydrogen, which is used for high growth rate deposition, and the other cycle of hydrogen gas only, which is used for non-diamond etching, in order to achieve high growth rate diamond deposition without sacrificing diamond quality. According to SEM and Raman spectroscopy, high quality diamond films are obtained by use of a suitable ratio of the deposition time to the etching time and a short cycling period (10 s), which is necessary to remove undesirable non-diamond components in time to grow high quality diamond. The growth rate is several times higher than that of diamond film with a similar quality deposited by the continuous diamond deposition condition using the hot filament CVD method.
Population dynamics in Dendraster, Merriamaster, and Anadara from the neogene of the Kettleman Hills, California

Abstract Samples of the echinoid Dendraster and the bivalve Anadara from the Neogene sedimentary rocks exposed in the Kettleman Hills of California contain few small specimens. The echinoid Merriamaster shows a more complete range of specimen sizes. Factors such as current winnowing, migration of adults to an area separate from juveniles, and mechanical, chemical, or biological destruction perhaps contributed to the lack of small specimens. However, rapid growth rate in juveniles and low juvenile mortality are probably the major reasons for the lack of small specimens. The adult portion of survivorship curves should be little affected by taphonomic processes and should thus contain useful information about population dynamics. The convex survivorship curves of Dendraster show low juvenile mortality followed by increasing mortality with age in adults. Dendraster specimens are always found in sediments indicating firm substrates and turbulent conditions. Convex survivorship curves for populations from this type of environment have been previously noted in other species. Merriamaster populations have linear to slightly convex survivorship curves. They probably lived in slightly less turbulent conditions than most Dendraster populations. Anadara populations lack small individuals, suggesting low juvenile mortality or taphonomic processes, but the post-juvenile portion of their survivorship curves range from linear to strongly convex. The linear pattern is frequently found in populations in sediments with a high proportion of mud, suggesting lower energy conditions.
Pacemaker diagnostics: A critical appraisal of current technology

Diagnostic information retrieved from a pacemaker offers the ability to improve patient care. Pacemaker diagnostic data provides information regarding pacemaker function and activity, lead function, arrhythmia occurrence, and data to aid in optimal pacemaker programming. Current pacemakers incorporate greater storage capabilities, more efficient means of storing and presenting data between follow-up visits, and more options for programming diagnostic functions and algorithms. The cardiac rhythm of the paced patient can be evaluated via real-time intracardiac electrograms at interrogation, surface electrocardiograms, ambulatory electrocardiograms, and by pacemaker stored diagnostic function that may include stored intracardiac electrograms. This article focuses on the various methods of obtaining diagnostic information regarding pacemaker activity, pacemaker function, and diagnostic information on cardiac arrhythmias. The current clinical applicability and limitations of these methods and the use of stored diagnostic data in the clinical follow-up and study of patients with pacemakers is discussed.
The mortality observed-to-expected ratio in otolaryngology.

ObjectiveThe mortality observed-to-expected (O:E) ratio is rapidly becoming the most important measured quality metric by allowing quantification and comparison of survival outcomes among different...
Combined Reduced-Antigen Content Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine- Related Erythema Nodosum: Case Report and Review of Vaccine-Associated Erythema Nodosum

Background Vaccination programs reduce the morbidity and mortality of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Erythema nodosum is a reactive erythema that can be associated with infections, drugs, and many conditions. The new onset of erythema nodosum after receiving vaccination is uncommon.
The Galvanic Phenomenon and Conditioned Responses

Resume LE PHENOMENE GALVANIQUE ET LES REPONSES CONDITIONNELLES La psychologie du “reflexe conditionnel” rencontre souvent de la difficulte quand introduite dans un programme experimental. La technique developpee premierement par Pavlov n'est par tres applicable aux sujets humains et le methode alternative de noter quelque reponse motrice specifique a ses desavantages. Cette etude-ci presente deux courtes experiences dans lesquelles le phenomene galvanique a ete employe avec succes comme indicateur du comportement conditionnel. Dans l'Experience I deux sujets, qui ont d'abord donne des reponses galvaniques a un choc electrique seul (stimulus non conditionnel) ont fini par repondre a une serie de bruits secs (stimulus conditionnel) precedant le choc. Dans l'Experience II les reponses galvaniques ont montre que les sujets ont discrimine entre deux vitesses differentes des bruits secs, c'est-a-dire, une reponse a ete etablie pour une grande vitesse des bruits (stimulus positif) par opposition a une plus petit...
The analysis of elastic recoil detection data

Abstract The physical concepts involved in elastic recoil detection (ERD) are reviewed in order to facilitate more quantitative use of this powerful ion beam analysis technique. Analytical expressions analogous to those developed for Rutherford backscattering are provided and recommendations are given for the optimization of depth resolution. Examples involving the concentration depth profiling of light elements are used to illustrate the analysis.
High speed op amps: Performance, process and topologies

Complementary bipolar processes developed in the mid 1980's allowed the development of integrated circuit operational amplifiers with bandwidths over 50MHz [1]. In the early 1990's, complementary bipolar processes implemented on SOI extended the attainable bandwidth to 1GHz. In the new millennium, SOI processes incorporating SiGe heterojunction transistors are used to produce IC op amps with bandwidths to nearly 10GHz. Industry trends towards lower supply voltages have made low voltage design techniques increasingly important. Class A/B circuit techniques exploiting complementarity have enhanced slew and distortion performance versus supply current. The demand for low supply voltage operation and differential signal processing has driven the development of differential amplifier topologies.
Single sodium channels from the squid giant axon

Since the work of A. L. Hodgkin and A. F. Huxley (1952. J. Physiol. [Lond.].117:500–544) the squid giant axon has been considered the classical preparation for the study of voltage-dependent sodium and potassium channels. In this preparation much data have been gathered on macroscopic and gating currents but no single sodium channel data have been available. This paper reports patch clamp recording of single sodium channel events from the cut-open squid axon. It is shown that the single channel conductance in the absence of external divalent ions is approximately 14 pS, similar to sodium channels recorded from other preparations, and that their kinetic properties are consistent with previous results on gating and macroscopic currents obtained from the perfused squid axon preparation.
SOME MECHANISMS OF MICROCRACK GROWTH AND INTERACTION IN COMPRESSIVE ROCK FAILURE

Abstract Under uniaxial or triaxial load, stress inhomogeneties are generated in crystalline rock at point contacts and at boundaries between grains of dissimilar elastic constants. These stress inhomogeneities may be responsible for the extension of dilatant cracks. Theoretical models are developed to study these possibilities. The models predict axial splitting in rocks under uniaxial compression. Application of moderate confining pressures severely limits crack extension and thus inhibits axial splitting. Interaction between cracks, together with these stress inhomogeneities, tends to form a zone of intense deformation inclined 30–40° to the maximum principal stress where larger angles are associated with higher confining pressures. The axially-oriented cracks in such a zone tend to grow towards each other and thus may coalesce to form the diagonal macroscopic fracture found in brittle rocks under triaxial conditions.
Predictors of aspiration pneumonia in nursing home residents.

Aspiration pneumonia is a serious problem for the elderly institutionalized person, often requiring transfer to a hospital and a lengthy stay there. It is associated with a high mortality rate and is very costly to the health care system. The current study sought to determine the key predictors of aspiration pneumonia in a nursing home population with the hope that health care providers could identify those residents at highest risk and focus more efforts on prevention of this serious disease. A cross-sectional, retrospective analysis was done, using the Minimum Data Set (MDS) nursing home assessment data for three states (New York, Mississippi, Maine) from 1993 to 1994 (N = 102,842). Nursing home residents were aged 65+. Standardized MDS summary scales and their component items were used, including: the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, the cognitive performance scale (CPS), and the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs). Results of these analyses showed the prevalence of pneumonia among this population was 3% (n = 3118). Results from the logistic regression models indicated 18 significant predictors of aspiration pneumonia. The strongest to weakest predictors of pneumonia were, respectively, suctioning use, COPD, CHF, presence of feeding tube, bedfast, high case mix index, delirium, weight loss, swallowing problems, urinary tract infections, mechanically altered diet, dependence for eating, bed mobility, locomotion, number of medications, and age, while both CVA and tracheotomy care were inversely predictive of pneumonia. The emergence of these significant predictors suggested a different pathogenesis of pneumonia in the elderly nursing home resident from the acute care patient or the outpatient. Nursing home residents have chronic medical conditions that gradually lead to “decompensation” in functional status, nutritional status, and pulmonary clearance. Dysphagia and aspiration are common complications of their medical conditions and may slowly worsen as their status deteriorates. Alternatively, a sudden adverse event may dramatically increase the amount aspirated or the ability to resist infection and lead to sudden decompensation. Clinical staff must identify residents with dysphagia and aspiration and work to prevent decline in functional status in all residents. They must be aware of the dangers of adverse events that lead to sudden inactivity or illness and increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Prevention of this disease whenever possible will reduce costs, improve health outcomes, and improve our quality of care.
Deciding to Discipline: Race, Choice, and Punishment on the Frontlines of Welfare Reform

Welfare sanctions are financial penalties applied to individuals who fail to comply with welfare program rules. Their widespread use reflects a turn toward disciplinary approaches to poverty management. In this article, we investigate how implicit racial biases and discrediting social markers interact to shape officials' decisions to impose sanctions. We present experimental evidence based on hypothetical vignettes that case managers are more likely to recommend sanctions for Latina and black clients - but not white clients - when discrediting markers are present. We triangulate these findings with analyses of state administrative data. Our results for Latinas are mixed, but we find consistent evidence that the probability of a sanction rises significantly when a discrediting marker (i.e., a prior sanction for noncompliance) is attached to a black rather than a white welfare client. Overall, our study clarifies how racial minorities, especially African Americans, are more likely to be punished for deviant behavior in the new world of disciplinary welfare provision.
Quantum fluctuations as the source of classical gravitational perturbations in inflationary universe models

Abstract The vacuum state wave functional of a free scalar field in the de Sitter phase of an inflationary universe is used to calculate the classical matter perturbations which couple to gravity. The transition to classical matter observables is made by defining a classical scalar field which contains the information about both the spread of the wave functional in time and spatial correlations. The result predicts a scale-invariant Zeldovich spectrum.
Enhancing GNU Radio with Heterogeneous Computing

Software radio system performance can be significantly enhanced with appropriate architectural choices, such as the GNU Radio USRP's division of roles between an FPGA and a general purpose CPU. Heterogeneous architectures provide the most flexibility for achieving high computational performance; yet have not been fully exploited by today's software radio architectures. This paper reports on a GNU Radio implementation for the Texas Instruments TCI663X SOC DSP/ARM that was publically released in 2014 and has seen widespread use in the telecommunications industry.
Eulerian Available Energetics in Moist Atmospheres

A new derivation of local available energy for a compressible, multicomponent fluid that allows for frictional, diabatic, and chemical (e.g., phase changes) processes is presented. The available energy is defined relative to an arbitrary isothermal atmosphere in hydrostatic balance with uniform total chemical potentials. It is shown that the available energy can be divided into available potential, available elastic, and available chemical energies. Each is shown to be positive definite. The general formulation is applied to the specific case of an idealized, moist, atmospheric sounding with liquid water and ice. The available energy is dominated by available potential energy in the troposphere but available elastic energy dominates in the upper stratosphere. The available chemical energy is significant in the lower troposphere where it dominates the available elastic energy. The total available energy increases with increasing water content.
Aspirin in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

▪ Abstract Aspirin irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase in platelets for their entire lifespan, raising the possibility of clinical benefits by decreasing risks of occlusive vascular events. In sec...
Conservation of Indole Responsive Odorant Receptors in Mosquitoes Reveals an Ancient Olfactory Trait

Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae are among the best-characterized mosquito species within the Culicinae and Anophelinae mosquito clades which diverged ∼150 million years ago. Despite this evolutionary distance, the olfactory systems of these mosquitoes exhibit similar morphological and physiological adaptations. Paradoxically, mosquito odorant receptors, which lie at the heart of chemosensory signal transduction pathways, belong to a large and highly divergent gene family. We have used 2 heterologous expression systems to investigate the functional characteristics of a highly conserved subset of Ors between Ae. aegypti and An. gambiae to investigate whether protein homology correlates with odorant-induced activation. We find that these receptors share similar odorant response profiles and that indole, a common and ecologically relevant olfactory cue, elicits strong responses from these homologous receptors. The identification of other highly conserved members of this Or clade from mosquito species of varying phylogenetic relatedness supports a model in which high sensitivity to indole represents an ancient ecological adaptation that has been preserved as a result of its life cycle importance. These results provide an understanding of how similarities and disparities among homologous OR proteins relate to olfactory function, which can lead to greater insights into the design of successful strategies for the control of mosquito-borne diseases.
Effects of acid stress in adult Rana pipiens

The decline in frog populations is a well-recognized worldwide phenomenon and infectious disease has been implicated as a major cause in the global decline of amphibian populations. Rana pipiens are disappearing from many habitats where they used to flourish, and environmental acidification has been considered as a possible contributor to this disappearance. We present a model that integrates the results of several experiments on the effects of acid exposure on natural resistance and mortality of adult Rana pipiens. These studies suggest that different components of the natural defense mechanisms of these frogs have different acid sensitivities. We have shown previously that exposure to pH 5.5 leads to a reduction in splenic white blood cell number, viability, and to colonization of the spleen with both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. In this paper we show that exposure to pH 6.0 did not affect the number or viability of splenic white blood cells but did result in colonization of the spleen by bacteria. We also show that cold exposure by itself does not cause a systemic bacterial infection in adult Rana pipiens, but acid stress following cold exposure does. The data presented in this paper provide empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that acid stress may be a contributor to the decline of Rana pipiens in the northeastern region of the United States. J. Exp. Zool. 298A:16-22, 2003. r 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Desperately seeking targets: the ethics of routine HIV testing in low-income countries

The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic, and responses to it, have exposed clear political, social and economic inequities between and within nations. The most striking manifestations of this inequity is access to AIDS treatment. In affluent nations, antiretroviral treatment is becoming the standard of care for those with AIDS, while the same treatment is currently only available for a privileged few in most resource-poor countries. Patients without sufficient financial and social capital — i.e., most people with AIDS — die each day by the thousands. Recent AIDS treatment initiatives such as the UNAIDS and WHO "3 by 5" programme aim to rectify this symptom of global injustice. However, the success of these initiatives depends on the identification of people in need of treatment through a rapid and massive scale-up of HIV testing. In this paper, we briefly explore key ethical challenges raised by the acceleration of HIV testing in resource-poor countries, focusing on the 2004 policy of routine ("opt-out") HIV testing recommended by UNAIDS and WHO. We suggest that in settings marked by poverty, weak health-care and civil society infrastructures, gender inequalities, and persistent stigmatization of people with HIV/AIDS, opt- out HIV-testing policies may become disconnected from the human rights ideals that first motivated calls for universal access to AIDS treatment. We leave open the ethical question of whether opt-out policies should be implemented, but we recommend that whenever routine HIV-testing policies are introduced in resource-poor countries, that their effect on individuals and communities should be the subject of empirical research, human-rights monitoring and ethical scrutiny.
Single-cell physiological structure and growth rates of heterotrophic bacteria in a temperate estuary (Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts)

Flow cytometric determinations of membrane integrity, nucleic acid content, and respiratory activity were combined with dilution cultures in Waquoit Bay Estuary (Massachusetts) to estimate specific growth rates of total, live, high (HNA), and low (LNA) nucleic acid content and actively respiring (CTC+) cells. Bacterial abundance ranged from 106 to 107 cells mL21, with live cells generally contributing . 85% to total numbers, 42– 82% HNA cells, and 3–36% CTC+ cells. Specific growth rates (m) from all physiological groups were positively correlated, but they showed different temperature dependences, with activation energies ranging from 0.28 (live) to 0.97 eV (LNA). The m values of live cells (0.14–2.40 d21) were similar to those of total bacteria (0.06–1.53 d21). LNA bacteria were not dormant but showed positive growth in most experiments, although HNA cells greatly outgrew LNA cells (m ranges of 0.28–2.26 d21 vs. 0–0.69 d21), and CTC+ cells showed the highest values (0.12– 2.65 d21). Positive correlations of HNA bacteria m with total and phytoplankton-derived dissolved organic carbon support the previously hypothesized strong bottom-up control of HNA cells. Bacterial production estimated from leucine incorporation and empirical conversion factors agreed well with estimates based on growth rates. HNA cells were always responsible for the largest share of bacterial production in the estuary. The contribution of CTC+ cells significantly increased with temperature in the 7–27uC range, reaching values of 40% at temperatures higher than 20uC.
Poling and crosslinking processes in NLO polymers

A series of photocrosslinkable polymers bearing hyperpolarizable side chain chromophores was synthesized, poled and evaluated on the basis of the thermal stability of Second Harmonic Generation (SHG). Photoinitiation allowed for control of the onset of curing. Crosslinking was monitored by infrared spectroscopy and optimal conversion was achieved by applying a slow temperature ramp during exposure. The ultimate stability of the poled polymers was directly related to the number of crosslinking substituents that were attached to the chromophore pendant group. With two reactive groups per chromophore significant SHG was retained at temperatures above the initial polymer glass transition temperature. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 2769–2775
Managing Spent Nuclear Fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has a large inventory of diverse types of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). This legacy derives from the history of the INL as the National Reactor Testing Station, and from its mission to recover HEU from SNF and to test and examine SNF after irradiation. The INL also has a large diversity of SNF storage facilities, some 50 years old. SNF at INL has many forms—from intact assemblies down to metallurgical mounts, and some fuel has been wet stored for over 40 years. SNF is stored bare or in metal cans under water, or dry in vaults, caissons or casks. Inspection shows varying corrosion and degradation of the SNF and its storage cans. SNF has been stored in 10 different facilities: 5 pools, one cask storage pad, one vault, two generations of caisson facilities, and one modular Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). The pools range in age from 40 years old to the most modern in the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The near-term objective is to move SNF from older pools to interim dry storage, allowing shutdown and decommissioning of the older facilities. This move involves drying methods that are dependent on fuel type. The long-term objective is to have INL SNF in safe dry storage and ready to be shipped to the National Repository. The unique features of the INL SNF requires special treatments and packaging to meet the proposed repository acceptance criteria and SNF will be repackaged in standardized canisters for shipment and disposal in the National Repository. Disposal will use the standardized canisters that can be co-disposed with High Level Waste glass logs to limit the total fissile material in a repository waste package. The DOE standardized canister also simplifies the repository handling of the multitude of DOE SNF sizes and shapes.
Does electrical stimulation improve motor recovery in patients with idiopathic facial (Bell) palsy

The purpose of “Evidence in Practice” is to illustrate how evidence is gathered and used to guide clinical decision making. This article is not a case report. The examination, evaluation, and intervention sections are purposely abbreviated. A 35-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with the diagnosis of Bell palsy, a unilateral facial palsy of unknown etiology. The patient reported that she first noticed the problem when she awoke 2 days ago and saw that her face “was distorted and deviated towards the right side.” She stated that she was recovering from a recent respiratory tract infection and that the evening before the facial symptoms appeared, she experienced pain in the mastoid region. Upon observing the facial asymmetry, the patient was concerned that she was having a stroke. The patient saw her primary care physician who diagnosed her as having Bell palsy after having ruled out a tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease by physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging studies, and laboratory tests including blood work. The physician prescribed acyclovir and prednisolone and suggested a consultation with a physical therapist for management of her facial muscle weakness. Upon arrival in our clinic, the patient expressed great concern that her facial weakness would interfere with her work as a lawyer and indicated that she was willing to adhere to any treatment regimen that would enhance her chances of early and optimal recovery. Our examination of the patient's vital signs revealed a heart rate of 76 bpm and blood pressure of 126/80 mm Hg. The neurologic examination revealed facial asymmetry at rest with drooping of the corner of the mouth and some accumulation of saliva on the left side of the mouth and a decrease in the prominence of the nasal labial fold. Sensation over the left side of the face was intact; …
Insights into the physiology of Methylotenera mobilis as revealed by metagenome-based shotgun proteomic analysis

While the shotgun proteomics approach is gaining momentum in understanding microbial physiology, it remains limited by the paucity of high-quality genomic data, especially when it comes to poorly characterized newly identified phyla. At the same time, large-scale metagenomic sequencing projects produce datasets representing genomes of a variety of environmental microbes, although with lower sequence coverage and sequence quality. In this work we tested the utility of a metagenomic dataset enriched in sequences of environmental strains of Methylotenera mobilis, to assess the protein profile of a laboratory-cultivated strain, M. mobilis JLW8, as a proof of principle. We demonstrate that a large portion of the proteome predicted from the metagenomic sequence (approx. 20 %) could be identified with high confidence (three or more peptide sequences), thus gaining insights into the physiology of this bacterium, which represents a new genus within the family Methylophilaceae.
Afterpulsing Effects in 1.5 μm Single Photon Avalanche Photodetectors

The effects of short (~1 ns) gating pulses and blanking on afterpulsing in an InGaAs/InP single photon detector are characterized at 1.5 μm. Afterpulse mitigation using gate pulse blanking immediately following detection events is studied, and temporal effects are discussed.
Maximum margin distance learning for dynamic texture recognition

The range space of dynamic textures spans spatiotemporal phenomena that vary along three fundamental dimensions: spatial texture, spatial texture layout, and dynamics. By describing each dimension with appropriate spatial or temporal features and by equipping it with a suitable distance measure, elementary distances (one for each dimension) between dynamic texture sequences can be computed. In this paper, we address the problem of dynamic texture (DT) recognition by learning linear combinations of these elementary distances. By learning weights to these distances, we shed light on how "salient" (in a discriminative manner) each DT dimension is in representing classes of dynamic textures. To do this, we propose an efficient maximum margin distance learning (MMDL) method based on the Pegasos algorithm [1], for both classindependent and class-dependent weight learning. In contrast to popular MMDL methods, which enforce restrictive distance constraints and have a computational complexity that is cubic in the number of training samples, we show that our method, called DL-PEGASOS, can handle more general distance constraints with a computational complexity that can be made linear. When class dependent weights are learned, we show that, for certain classes of DTs, spatial texture features are dominantly "salient", while for other classes, this "saliency" lies in their temporal features. Furthermore, DL-PEGASOS outperforms state-of-the-art recognition methods on the UCLA benchmark DT dataset. By learning class independent weights, we show that this benchmark does not offer much variety along the three DT dimensions, thus, motivating the proposal of a new DT dataset, called DynTex++.
Symmetry‐Guided Synthesis of Highly Porous Metal–Organic Frameworks with Fluorite Topology

Two stable, non-interpenetrated MOFs, PCN-521 and PCN-523, were synthesized by a symmetry-guided strategy. Augmentation of the 4-connected nodes in the fluorite structure with a rigid tetrahedral ligand and substitution of the 8-connected nodes by the Zr/Hf clusters yielded MOFs with large octahedral interstitial cavities. They are the first examples of Zr/Hf MOFs with tetrahedral linkers. PCN-521 has the largest BET surface area (3411 m(2) g(-1)), pore size (20.5×20.5×37.4 A) and void volume (78.5%) of MOFs formed from tetrahedral ligands. This work not only demonstrates a successful implementation of rational design of MOFs with desired topology, but also provides a systematic way of constructing non-interpenetrated MOFs with high porosity.
Gelebte Grenze Gibraltar: Transnationalismus, Lokalitaet und Identitaet in kuluranthropologischer Perspektive

Celebte Grenze Gibraltar: Transnationalismus, Lokalitaet und Identitaet in kuluranthropologischer Perspektive. Dieter Haller. Wiesbaden, Germany: Deutscher Universitaets-Verlag, 2000. xii + 393 pp., glossary, references, index
Unplanned pediatric intensive care unit readmissions: a single-center experience.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to compare patients readmitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) unexpectedly within 48 hours (early), more than 48 hours from transfer (late), or not readmitted during the same hospitalization. Materials and Methods A retrospective study (2007-2009) was performed at a tertiary care pediatric academic hospital. Readmitted at-risk patients were grouped by timing of readmission, and a sample of nonreadmitted patients was randomly selected. Early readmissions were compared to late readmissions and to nonreadmissions. Results Of 3805 eligible patients, 3.9% had an unplanned PICU readmission with almost half occurring within 48 hours. Median times to readmission were 21.5 hours (early) and 7 days (late). Compared with late readmissions, early readmissions were more often admitted from and transferred to a surgical service, transferred on a weekend, and readmitted with the same primary diagnosis. Compared with nonreadmitted patients, independent risk factors for early readmission were admission source and respiratory support at PICU transfer. Readmitted patients had longer total PICU and hospital lengths of stay than nonreadmitted patients. Late readmissions had a higher mortality than early readmissions. Conclusions Patients requiring an unplanned PICU readmission had worse outcomes than those without a readmission. Future studies should focus on identifying modifiable risk factors for targeted interventions.